Criminal Justice Policy Program at Harvard Law School
50-State Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder Bringing transparency to areas of significant legal complexity.
50-State Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder Bringing transparency to areas of significant legal complexity.
Poverty Penalties and Poverty Traps
Keyword search across all of the laws in the states. Subject-area tabs above allow you to narrow results. Click the advanced search for further refinement.
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See all poverty penalty and poverty trap policy recommendations in CJPP’s Policy Guide
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- Civil judgment (1)
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Mandatory
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Below are the poverty penalties and poverty traps that meet your search criteria. Many include a See related provisions prompt which searches our database for laws that may pertain to your result.
28 Results
| State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Type of poverty penalty or poverty trap | Level of offense | Mandatory | |
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Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 8-1567 | Driving a commercial motor vehicle under the influence; penalties |
In lieu of payment of a fine imposed pursuant to this section, the court may order that the person perform community service specified by the court. The person shall receive + See morea credit on the fine imposed in an amount equal to $5 for each full hour spent by the person in the specified community service. The community service ordered by the court shall be required to be performed not later than one year after the fine is imposed or by an earlier date specified by the court. If by the required date the person performs an insufficient amount of community service to reduce to zero the portion of the fine required to be paid by the person, the remaining balance of the fine shall become due on that date.
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Community service | All | No |
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Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6604(q) | Authorized dispositions; crimes committed on or after July 1, 1993 |
In imposing a fine, the court may authorize the payment thereof in installments. In lieu of payment of any fine imposed, the court may order that the person perform community + See moreservice specified by the court. The person shall receive a credit on the fine imposed in an amount equal to $5 for each full hour spent by the person in the specified community service. The community service ordered by the court shall be required to be performed by the later of one year after the fine is imposed or one year after release from imprisonment or jail, or by an earlier date specified by the court. If by the required date the person performs an insufficient amount of community service to reduce to zero the portion of the fine required to be paid by the person, the remaining balance shall become due on that date. If conditional reduction of any fine is rescinded by the court for any reason, then pursuant to the court's order the person may be ordered to perform community service by one year after the date of such rescission or by an earlier date specified by the court. If by the required date the person performs an insufficient amount of community service to reduce to zero the portion of the fine required to be paid by the person, the remaining balance of the fine shall become due on that date. All credits for community service shall be subject to review and approval by the court.
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Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6607(b)(11) | Conditions of probation or suspended sentence; correctional supervision fee; correctional supervision fund; searches; drug testing; written reports |
The court may impose any conditions of probation, suspension of sentence or assignment to a community correctional services program that the court deems proper, including, but not limited to, requiring + See morethat the defendant: (11) perform services under a system of day fines whereby the defendant is required to satisfy fines, costs or reparation or restitution obligations by performing services for a period of days, determined by the court on the basis of ability to pay, standard of living, support obligations and other factors;
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Condition or extension of supervision | All | No |
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Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6607(b)(7) | Conditions of probation or suspended sentence; correctional supervision fee; correctional supervision fund; searches; drug testing; written reports |
The court may impose any conditions of probation, suspension of sentence or assignment to a community correctional services program that the court deems proper, including, but not limited to, requiring + See morethat the defendant: (7) pay a fine or costs, applicable to the offense, in one or several sums and in the manner as directed by the court;
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Condition or extension of supervision | All | No |
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Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 22-3425(1) | Commitment for failure to pay fine and costs |
(1) When a defendant is adjudged to pay a fine and costs, the court may order him to be committed to the county jail until such fine and costs are + See morepaid or may make an order providing for the payment of such fines and costs in installments.
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Incarceration | All | No |
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Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 22-3425(2) | Commitment for failure to pay fine and costs |
Any person confined in the county jail for failure to pay a fine or costs may be released by the court which imposed sentence, upon satisfactory proof that such person + See moreis unable to pay such fine and costs. A release under this section shall not discharge a person from his liability to pay the fine and costs adjudged against him, but they may thereafter be collected by execution as on judgments in civil cases.
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Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6604(b)(1)(2) | Authorized dispositions; crimes committed on or after July 1, 1993 |
If the court orders restitution, the restitution shall be a judgment against the defendant which may be collected by the court by garnishment or other execution as on judgments in + See morecivil cases. If, after 60 days from the date restitution is ordered by the court, a defendant is found to be in noncompliance with the plan established by the court for payment of restitution, and the victim to whom restitution is ordered paid has not initiated proceedings in accordance with K.S.A. 60-4301 et seq., and amendments thereto, the court shall assign an agent procured by the attorney general pursuant to K.S.A. 75-719, and amendments thereto, to collect the restitution on behalf of the victim. The chief judge of each judicial district may assign such cases to an appropriate division of the court for the conduct of civil collection proceedings.
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Wage/bank account garnishment | All | No |
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Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6604(j) | Authorized dispositions; crimes committed on or after July 1, 1993 |
(j) This section shall not deprive the court of any authority conferred by any other Kansas statute to decree a forfeiture of property, suspend or cancel a license, remove a + See moreperson from office or impose any other civil penalty as a result of conviction of crime.
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Driver's license suspension/impoundment | All | No |
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Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6604(j) | Authorized dispositions; crimes committed on or after July 1, 1993 |
(j) This section shall not deprive the court of any authority conferred by any other Kansas statute to decree a forfeiture of property, suspend or cancel a license, remove a + See moreperson from office or impose any other civil penalty as a result of conviction of crime.
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Driver's license suspension/impoundment | All | No |
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Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6604(f)(1) | Authorized dispositions; crimes committed on or after July 1, 1993 |
(j) This section shall not deprive the court of any authority conferred by any other Kansas statute to decree a forfeiture of property, suspend or cancel a license, remove a + See moreperson from office or impose any other civil penalty as a result of conviction of crime.
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Property liens | All | No |
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Kansas | Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6604(j) | Authorized dispositions; crimes committed on or after July 1, 1994 |
(f)(1) When a new felony is committed while the offender is incarcerated and serving a sentence for a felony, or while the offender is on probation, assignment to a community + See morecorrectional services program, parole, conditional release or postrelease supervision for a felony, a new sentence shall be imposed consecutively pursuant to the provisions of K.S.A. 21-6606, and amendments thereto, and the court may sentence the offender to imprisonment for the new conviction, even when the new crime of conviction otherwise presumes a nonprison sentence. In this event, imposition of a prison sentence for the new crime does not constitute a departure.
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Condition or extension of supervision | All | No |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-16-101 | Persons subject to required work |
(a) The sentencing court may require the following persons to perform work pursuant to W.S. 7-16-101 through 7-16-104: (i) Persons sentenced to a definite term of imprisonment in the county jail, whether or not a fine is imposed as a part of the sentence; (ii) Persons committed to jail pursuant to W.S. 6-10-105 for refusal to pay a fine or costs; and (iii) Persons for whom work is imposed as a condition of probation pursuant to W.S. 7-13-304(b). (b) No person charged with a crime and awaiting the action of the grand jury or awaiting trial shall be required to perform work pursuant to W.S. 7-16-101 through 7-16-104.
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Condition or extension of supervision, Work program/jail industry program | All | No |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-10-105 | Commitment for refusal to pay fine or costs; rate per day |
A person committed to jail for willfully refusing to pay a fine or costs may be imprisoned if the court determines that the defendant has an ability to pay or that a reasonable probability exists that the defendant will have an ability to pay, until the imprisonment, at the rate of fifteen dollars ($15.00) per day, equals the amount of the fine or costs, or the amount shall be paid or secured to be paid when he is discharged.
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Incarceration | All | No |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-11-504 | Commitment until fine and costs paid |
If a defendant sentenced to pay a fine or costs defaults in payment, the court may order the defendant to show cause why he should not be committed to jail. If the court finds that the defendant's default is willful or is due to a failure on defendant's part to make a good faith effort to obtain the funds required for the payment and the court determines that the defendant has an ability to pay or that a reasonable probability exists that the defendant will have an ability to pay, the court may order him committed until the fine or costs, or a specified part thereof, is paid. The defendant shall be given a credit for each day of imprisonment at the rate provided by W.S. 6 10 105, and may earn additional credits against his fine or costs for work performed as provided by W.S. 7 16 101 through 7 16 104.
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Incarceration | All | No |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-10-105 | Commitment for refusal to pay fine or costs; rate per day |
A person committed to jail for willfully refusing to pay a fine or costs may be imprisoned if the court determines that the defendant has an ability to pay or that a reasonable probability exists that the defendant will have an ability to pay, until the imprisonment, at the rate of fifteen dollars ($15.00) per day, equals the amount of the fine or costs, or the amount shall be paid or secured to be paid when he is discharged.
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Incarceration | All | No |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 31-9-305 | Payment of judgments in installments; failure to meet payments |
(a) A judgment debtor upon notice to the judgment creditor may apply to the court in which judgment was rendered for the privilege of paying the judgment in installments and the court, in its discretion and without prejudice to any other legal remedies which the judgment creditor may have, may order and fix the amounts and times of payment of the installments.
(b) The division shall not suspend a license, registration or a nonresident's operating privilege, and shall restore any license, registration or nonresident's operating privilege suspended following nonpayment of a judgment, when the judgment debtor gives proof of financial responsibility and obtains an order permitting the payment of the judgment in installments, and while the payment of any installment is not in default. (c) If the judgment debtor fails to pay any installment as specified by the order, then upon notice of default, the division shall suspend the license, registration or nonresident's operating privilege of the judgment debtor until the judgment is fully satisfied, as provided in this act. |
Driver's license suspension/impoundment, Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-13-421 | Restitution as condition of parole |
(b) The board shall provide for restitution in the amount determined by the court pursuant to W.S. 7-9-103 unless the board finds the parolee is not reasonably capable of making the payments, in which case the board may modify the amount of restitution to be paid, taking into account the factors enumerated in W.S. 7-9-106.
(c) If the parolee fails to pay the restitution as provided by this section the board may: (i) Modify the amount of the restitution; (ii) Repealed By Laws 2011, Ch. 30, § 2. (iii) Revoke the parole. |
Condition or extension of supervision, Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-9-109 | Failure to comply; modification or extension of plan |
Failure of the defendant to comply with W.S. 7 9 104 or to comply with the plan of restitution as approved or modified by the court is a violation of the conditions of probation. If the probation period has expired, the restitution order may be enforced by either civil or criminal contempt proceedings. Criminal contempt under this section is punishable by imprisonment for not more than one (1) year. The court may modify the plan of restitution or extend the period of time for restitution, but, except for those cases falling within the provisions of W.S. 7 9 113 through 7 9 115, the court may not extend the period of time for restitution beyond ten (10) years following the date of the defendant's discharge from sentence or expiration of probation under W.S. 7 13 301.
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Incarceration | All | No |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-9-115 | Modification of order |
After a long-term physical health care restitution order has been entered, the court may from time to time, on the petition of either the defendant or the victim, or upon its own motion, modify the order as to the amount of monthly payments. Any modification of the order shall only be based upon a substantial change of circumstances relating to the cost of long-term physical health care or the financial condition of either the defendant or the victim. The petition shall be filed as part of the original criminal docket.
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Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-13-306 | Payment of fine in installments |
When imposing a fine and also placing the defendant on probation, the district judge may permit the fine to be paid in installments over a reasonable period of time. |
Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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For more information, please visit cjpp.law.harvard.edu.