Sentencing For Dollars is an initiative of Justice Strategies, the research, training, and policy division of the Center For Community Alternatives.

Prior to any plea, a defense attorney should counsel his or her client regarding the direct and collateral consequences of a criminal conviction. The ever-increasing fees and surcharges associated with a criminal conviction are often overlooked and should be included in a review of the consequences of the conviction.

The information in this pamphlet is designed to assist defense counsel in calculating fees, surcharges and civil penalties that may be applicable based upon the category of the offense, type of sentence, length of sentence and amount of time under probation or parole supervision. This pamphlet includes the fees, surcharges, and penalties in effect on March 1, 2004. For defendants sentenced to probation, additional county fees may be imposed depending upon local county law.

JUSTICE STRATEGIES
The Justice Strategies team has helped to draft local legislation, testified before the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, published a report on racial disparities in local criminal justice and trained hundreds of attorneys, community leaders, employment and youth counselors, young people, and educators on criminal and juvenile justice issues.