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Criminal Justice Debt: A Barrier to Reentry (Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law)

  • Organization: Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law
  • Document Type: Report
  • Date Created: Tuesday, October 12, 2010
  • Submitted: Tuesday, October 12, 2010
  • Attachment(s): LINK

This report by the Brennan Center for Justice finds that states are introducing new "user fees" on individuals with criminal convic­tions, rais­ing the dollar amounts of existing fees, and intensifying the collection of fees and other forms of criminal justice debt such as fines and restitution. The report highlights key findings on the the costs and impact these fees on com­munities, taxpayers, and indigent people convicted of crimes. It concludes that these practices often create new paths to prison for those unable to pay their debts and make it harder to find employment and housing as well to meet child support obligations. The report also makes several recommendations for reforming the use of user fees and the collection of criminal justice debt in state and local policy environments.

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