Poverty Penalties and Poverty Traps

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State Statute Description/Statute Name Statutory language Type of poverty penalty or poverty trap Level of offense Mandatory
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Oklahoma Okla. Stat. tit. 22, § 979a Payment of jail costs by inmate
The sheriff, municipality or other public entity responsible for the operation of the jail may collect costs of incarceration ordered by the court from the jail account of the inmate.
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If the funds collected from the jail account of the inmate are insufficient to satisfy the actual incarceration costs ordered by the court, the sheriff, municipality or other public entity responsible for the operation of the jail is authorized to collect the remaining balance of the incarceration costs by civil action.
Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Michigan Mich. Comp. Laws § 769.1(k) Wage assignment The court may require the defendant to pay any fine, cost, or assessment ordered to be paid under this section by wage assignment. Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Michigan Mich. Comp. Laws § 780.830a Deductions and payments
(1) If a defendant who has been sentenced to jail is ordered to pay restitution under section 76, and if the defendant receives more than $50.00 in a month, the
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sheriff may deduct 50% of the amount over $50.00 received by the defendant for payment of the restitution, and 5% of the amount over $50.00 received by the defendant to be retained by the sheriff as an administrative fee. The sheriff shall promptly send the money deducted for restitution to the court or to the crime victim as provided in the order of restitution when it accumulates to an amount that exceeds $100.00, or when the defendant is released to probation or discharged on the maximum sentence.
Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Michigan Mich. Comp. Laws § 12.136 Collection Services to the Courts: Offsetting tax refunds or other payments; order of priority
The department, pursuant to its statutory and common law authority, may offset tax refunds or other payments due from the state to a person who owes a debt to a
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court that would be collectible under an agreement described in this act.
Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Michigan Mich. Comp. Laws § 771.3(2) Restitution by defendant convicted of misdemeanor
As a condition of probation, the court may require the probationer to do 1 or more of the following: . . . (b) Pay immediately or within the period of
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his or her probation a fine imposed when placed on probation. (c) Pay costs pursuant to subsection (5). (d) Pay any assessment ordered by the court other than an assessment described in subsection (1)(f). . . . (f) Agree to pay by wage assignment any restitution, assessment, fine, or cost imposed by the court.
Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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North Dakota N.D. Cent. Code § 32-09.1-02 Creditors may proceed by garnishment
Any creditor is entitled to proceed by garnishment in any court having jurisdiction of the subject of the action against any person, any public corporation, the United States, the state
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of North Dakota, or any institution, department, or agency of the state, indebted to or having any property in possession or under control, belonging to the creditor's debtor after securing a judgment against the debtor in a court of competent jurisdiction, in the cases, upon the conditions, and in the manner prescribed in this chapter. A garnishment action brought pursuant to this chapter is the exclusive procedure which may be used to execute on earnings of a debtor while those earnings are held by a third-party employer.
Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Pennsylvania 42 Pa. Stat. Ann. § 9728(b)(5) Collection - procedure
The county correctional facility to which the offender has been sentenced or the Department of Corrections shall be authorized to make monetary deductions from inmate personal accounts for the purpose
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of collecting restitution or any other court-ordered obligation or costs imposed 
Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Virginia Va. Code Ann. § 53.1-131 Work release wage garnishment
Any wages earned pursuant to this section by an offender may, upon order of the court, be paid to the director or administrator of the program after standard payroll deductions
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required by law. Distribution of such wages shall be made for the following purposes: 1. To pay an amount to defray the cost of his keep; 2. To pay travel and other such expenses made necessary by his work release employment or participation in an educational or rehabilitative program; 3. To provide support and maintenance for his dependents or to make payments to the local department of social services or the Commissioner of Social Services, as appropriate, on behalf of dependents who are receiving public assistance or social services as defined in § 63.2-100; or 4. To pay any fines, restitution or costs as ordered by the court.
Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Virginia Va. Code Ann. § 53.1-155.1 Residential community program wage garnishment
Any wages earned pursuant to this section by a prisoner may be paid to the director or administrator of the program after standard payroll deductions required by law. Distribution of
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such wages shall be made for the following purposes: 1. To pay an amount to defray the cost of his keep; 2. To pay travel and other such expenses made necessary by his work release, employment, or participation in a residential community program or a community-based program; 3. To provide support and maintenance for his dependents or to make payments to the local department of social services or the Commissioner of Social Services, as appropriate, on behalf of dependents who are receiving public assistance as defined in § 63.2-100; or 4. To pay any fines, restitution, or costs as ordered by the court.
Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Virginia Va. Code Ann. § 58.1-523 Set off of tax refund
Subject to the limitations contained in this article, the Department, upon request, shall render assistance in the collection of any delinquent account or debt owing to any claimant agency. This
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assistance shall be provided by setting off any refunds belonging to the debtor from the Department by the sum certified by the claimant agency as due and owing.
Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Virginia Va. Code Ann. § 19.2-305.2 Order of Restitution
B. An order of restitution may be docketed as provided in § 8.01-446 when so ordered by the court or upon written request of the victim and may be enforced by a
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victim named in the order to receive the restitution in the same manner as a judgment in a civil action.
Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Nevada Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. §§176.064 (3)(a)-(b)  Collection fee for unpaid administrative assessment, fine, fee or restitution; use of collection agency; report to credit agencies; civil judgment; attachment or garnishment; suspension of driver's license; imprisonment
3.  The court may, on its own motion or at the request of a state or local entity that is responsible for collecting the delinquent fine, administrative assessment, fee or restitution,
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take any or all of the following actions, in the following order of priority if practicable: (a) Enter a civil judgment for the amount due in favor of the state or local entity that is responsible for collecting the delinquent fine, administrative assessment, fee or restitution. A civil judgment entered pursuant to this paragraph may be enforced and renewed in the manner provided by law for the enforcement and renewal of a judgment for money rendered in a civil action. If the court has entered a civil judgment pursuant to this paragraph and the person against whom the judgment is entered is not indigent and has not satisfied the judgment within the time established by the court, the person may be dealt with as for contempt of court. (b) Request that a prosecuting attorney undertake collection of the delinquency, including, without limitation, the original amount of the civil judgment entered pursuant to paragraph (a) and the collection fee, by attachment or garnishment of the defendant’s property, wages or other money receivable.
Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Nevada Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 209.4837(D)   Agreement for assignment and distribution of wages of offender; schedule of restitution.  
Once the Director determines that restitution voluntarily offered by the offender can be made, the Director shall attempt to negotiate and enter into an agreement with the offender which provides
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for an assignment to the Department of all wages which the offender earns: 1.  To make restitution payments: (a) To the victims of any crime for which the offender is incarcerated and for which an amount of restitution was set pursuant to NRS 176.033; and (b) For expenses related to extradition in accordance with NRS 179.225; 2.  To reimburse the Department in part for its costs in providing the offender housing, transportation, meals and medical and dental services at the center, if applicable; and 3.  For the offender’s own account to the Prisoners’ Personal Property Fund.
Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Louisiana CCRP 886 Enforcement of fine by civil process; offset of tax refund
A. In the event of nonpayment of a fine, nonpayment of restitution to the victim, or nonpayment of a fine and costs, within sixty days after the sentence was
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imposed, and if no appeal is pending, the court which imposed the sentence may sign a judgment against the defendant in a sum equal to the fine or restitution plus judicial interest to begin sixty days after the sentence was imposed plus all costs of the criminal proceeding and subsequent proceedings necessary to enforce the judgment in either civil or criminal court, or both. Collection of the judgment may be enforced in either criminal or civil court, or both, in the same manner as a money judgment in a civil case. In addition, particular courts may provide by court rule for enforcement by the filing of an offset claim against the defendant, in accordance with R.S. 47:299.1 through 299.20. B. The provisions of Paragraph A of this Article shall apply to all fines and costs due and owing, regardless of whether they become due and owing prior to September 6, 1991.
Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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South Carolina S.C. Code Ann. § 16-3-1260(6) Restitution payment wage garnishment
(6) Restitution payments to the State Office of Victim Assistance may be made by the Department of Corrections from wages accumulated by offenders in its custody who are subject to
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this article, except that offenders' wages must not be used for this purpose if monthly wages are at or below minimums required to purchase basic necessities.
Wage/bank account garnishment 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
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civil 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.
Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Montana Mont. Code Ann. § 46-18-237 Garnishment--report by supervising authority
(1) If the department of corrections becomes aware that a person while incarcerated under the legal custody of the department of corrections or a person supervised by the department is
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entitled to receive money from any source, the person's supervising authority may prepare a report... (2) The supervising authority shall provide notice and a copy of the report to the office of victims services in the department of justice and the county attorney for the county in which the person was sentenced, either of whom may submit the report along with a petition for garnishment to the court that sentenced the person. The court may order garnishment of the person's money for the payment of restitution, child support, and per diem costs of incarceration owed by the person. Upon receipt of the petition, the court shall provide a copy of the report to the person, who has 15 days following receipt to file an objection. The court may hold a hearing to consider objections raised by the person. (3) Upon compliance with the provisions of subsections (1) and (2), the court shall determine the amount of restitution, child support, and repayment for per diem costs owed by the person. The court shall order, up to the amount of money available, payment of an amount equal to the restitution owed by the person to the person designated under 46-18-245 to supervise the making of restitution payments, any outstanding child support payments to the department of public health and human services for disbursement to the obligee, and per diem costs owed by the person. All restitution owed by the person must be paid prior to payment of any child support payments. All child support owed by the person must be paid prior to the payment of any per diem costs.
Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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New York N.Y. C.P.L.R. 5231 Income Execution
(a) Form. An income execution shall specify, in addition to the requirements of subdivision (a) of section 5230, the name and address of the person or entity from whom the
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judgment debtor is receiving or will receive money; the amount of money, the frequency of its payment and the amount of the installments to be collected therefrom; and shall contain a notice to the judgment debtor that he or she shall commence payment of the installments specified to the sheriff forthwith and that, upon his or her default, the execution will be served upon the person or entity from whom he or she is receiving or will receive money.
Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Tennessee Tenn. Code Ann. § 67-1-1203 Garnishment issuance and execution
Garnishments may be issued and executed by the sheriff, any deputy sheriff or constable in the same manner as garnishments are issued and executed on executions at law. Before issuing
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a garnishment, the sheriff, any deputy sheriff or constable shall cause such distress warrant to be entered on the docket of any court of general sessions or circuit court of the county, and the procedure in the execution of such garnishment shall be the same as now provided by the statute for the execution of garnishments in civil cases.
Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Utah Utah Code Ann. § 77-19-1 Judgment for fines or costs --Enforcement
If the judgment is for a fine or costs when allowed by statute and the fine is not paid as ordered by the court, execution or garnishment may be issued
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as on a judgment in a civil action. The prosecuting attorney, upon written request of the court clerk, shall effectuate collection through execution or garnishment when the fine or costs have not been paid as ordered by the court.
Wage/bank account garnishment All No