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.

Every law can be saved to the Reform Builder  

See all poverty penalty and poverty trap policy recommendations in CJPP’s Policy Guide

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.

16 Results

Export results to Excel

State Statute Description/Statute Name Statutory language Type of poverty penalty or poverty trap Level of offense Mandatory
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Montana Mont. Code Ann. § 46-18-244(6) Type and time of payment--defenses--ensuring payment
For a felony offense: (a) during any period that the offender is incarcerated, the department of corrections shall take a percentage, as set by department rule, of any money in
+ See more
any account of the defendant administered by the department and use the money to satisfy any existing restitution obligation; (b) at the beginning of any period during which the offender is not incarcerated, the offender shall sign a statement allowing any employer of the offender to garnish up to 25% of the offender's compensation and give the garnished amounts to the department of corrections to be used by the department to satisfy any existing restitution obligation; and (c) during any period that the defendant is on probation or parole, the probation and parole officer shall set a monthly restitution payment amount by dividing the total amount of unpaid restitution by the number of remaining months of probation or parole. The probation and parole officer may adjust the monthly payment up or down by a maximum of 10%, depending on the offender's circumstances.
Wage/bank account garnishment All Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Montana Mont. Code Ann. § 46-18-244(7) Type and time of payment--defenses--ensuring payment
The department of corrections shall give the department of revenue a copy of the order to pay restitution. If full restitution has not been paid, the department of revenue shall,
+ See more
pursuant to an agreement made under 46-18-241, intercept any state tax refunds and any federal tax refunds, as provided by law, due the offender and transfer the money to the department of corrections for a felony offense and to the sentencing court for a misdemeanor offense for disbursement to the victim.
Wage/bank account garnishment All Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Montana Mont. Code Ann. § 46-18-244(6) Type and time of payment--defenses--ensuring payment
(a) during any period that the offender is incarcerated, the department of corrections shall take a percentage, as set by department rule, of any money in any account of the
+ See more
defendant administered by the department and use the money to satisfy any existing restitution obligation; (b) at the beginning of any period during which the offender is not incarcerated, the offender shall sign a statement allowing any employer of the offender to garnish up to 25% of the offender's compensation and give the garnished amounts to the department of corrections to be used by the department to satisfy any existing restitution obligation; and (c) during any period that the defendant is on probation or parole, the probation and parole officer shall set a monthly restitution payment amount by dividing the total amount of unpaid restitution by the number of remaining months of probation or parole. The probation and parole officer may adjust the monthly payment up or down by a maximum of 10%, depending on the offender's circumstances.
Wage/bank account garnishment Felony Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Montana Mont. Code Ann. § 46-18-244(7) Type and time of payment--defenses--ensuring payment
The department of corrections shall give the department of revenue a copy of the order to pay restitution. If full restitution has not been paid, the department of revenue shall,
+ See more
pursuant to an agreement made under 46-18-241, intercept any state tax refunds and any federal tax refunds, as provided by law, due the offender and transfer the money to the department of corrections for a felony offense and to the sentencing court for a misdemeanor offense for disbursement to the victim.
Wage/bank account garnishment All Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Montana Mont. Code Ann. § 46-18-601 Judgment in writing--lien
(1) The judgment shall be reduced to writing and signed by the judge. (2) A judgment that the defendant pay a fine or costs constitutes a lien upon the real estate
+ See more
of the defendant, which lien dates from the date of the defendant's arrest.
Property liens All Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Nevada Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. §176.0635 Administrative assessment, fine or fee for felony or gross misdemeanor: Additional costs and fees for collection.
1.  A defendant who pleads guilty or guilty but mentally ill or is found guilty or guilty but mentally ill who owes a fine, administrative assessment or fee, pursuant to NRS
+ See more
176.0625, must be assessed by and pay to the county treasurer or other office assigned by the county to make collections the following costs and fees if the county treasurer or other office assigned by the county to make collections is successful in collecting the fine, administrative assessment or fee: (a) The costs and fees actually incurred in collecting the fine, administrative assessment or fee; and (b) A fee payable to the county treasurer in the amount of 2 percent of the amount of the fine, administrative assessment or fee assigned to the county treasurer or other office assigned by the county to make collections. 2.  The total amount of the costs and fees required to be collected pursuant to subsection 1 must not exceed 35 percent of the amount of the fine, administrative assessment or fee or $50,000, whichever is less.
Collection fee/interest Felony Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Nevada Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 176.278 Payment of restitution from civil judgment or settlement in favor of defendant and against State, political subdivision, officer, employee or contractor.
1.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 4, if a person who is or was imprisoned in the state prison or a county or city jail or detention facility is awarded
+ See more
a judgment against: (a) The State of Nevada, a county or a city; (b) A department, commission, board or other agency of the State of Nevada, a county or a city; or (c) A current or former officer, employee or contractor of the State of Nevada, a county or a city, arising from a civil action that accrued while the person was imprisoned in the state prison or county or city jail or detention facility, the person or governmental entity that pays the judgment shall deposit the money for the judgment with the court. The court shall deduct from the money received from the judgment any amount of money owed by the person for restitution and send the money to the appropriate person, governmental agency or political subdivision of a governmental agency to whom restitution is owed. 2.  Except as otherwise provided in subsection 4, if a person enters into a settlement for money in an action described in subsection 1, the person or governmental entity that pays the settlement shall deposit the money for the settlement with the court in which the action was filed or the district court of the county in which the person resides if no action was filed. The court shall deduct from the money deposited with the court any amount of money owed by the person for restitution and send the money to the appropriate person, governmental agency or political subdivision of a governmental agency to whom restitution is owed. 3.  If any money remains after the court makes the deduction pursuant to subsection 1 or 2, the court shall forward the remaining money to the person who initiated the action. 4.  The provisions of this section do not apply to a judgment or settlement in a case that involves the death of a person who was imprisoned.
Wage/bank account garnishment All Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Nevada Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 176.305   Judgment for imprisonment or fine and imprisonment until satisfied: Commitment and detention.  
If the judgment be imprisonment, or a fine and imprisonment until it is satisfied, the defendant must forthwith be committed to the custody of the proper officer, and detained until
+ See more
the judgment is complied with.
Incarceration All Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Nevada Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 209.4837(E)   Agreement for assignment and distribution of wages of offender; schedule of restitution.  
The agreement must contain a schedule of restitution payments to be made to all victims of crimes for which the offender is incarcerated and for which an amount of restitution
+ See more
was set pursuant to NRS 176.033. The payments may be made subject to such terms as the Director considers advisable.
Payment plan/installment plan All Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Nevada Nev. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 209.4831   Deduction from wages of offender for living expenses.  
The Director shall determine, with the approval of the Board, an amount to be deducted from the wages of each parolee or other offender assigned to a center to offset
+ See more
the cost of providing the offender with housing, transportation, meals and medical and dental services at the center.
Wage/bank account garnishment All Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

New Hampshire N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 631:2-b Domestic Violence

In addition to any other penalty authorized by law, the court shall levy a fine of $50 for each conviction under this section. If the court determines that the defendant

+ See more
is unable to pay the fine on the date imposed, the court may defer payment or order periodic payments thereof. Fines imposed under this section shall not be subject to an additional penalty assessment. The clerk shall forward all fines collected under this paragraph to the department of health and human services for the purposes of RSA 173-B:15.

Payment plan/installment plan All Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

New Hampshire N.H. Rev. Stat. § 504-A:13(I) Supervision and Service Charges

The court shall establish a supervision fee for probationers, and the parole board shall establish a supervision fee for parolees. The fee shall not be less than $40 a month,

+ See more
unless waived in whole or in part by the court, board or commissioner, and may be any greater amount as established by the court or board. This fee shall be considered a condition of release, and failure to satisfy this obligation shall be grounds for a violation hearing, unless the probationer or parolee has been found to be indigent and, for that reason, unable to pay the fee. Service charges for collection of fines and fees, other than supervision fees, shall be established at 10 percent of the funds collected.

Collection fee/interest, Condition or extension of supervision All Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

New Hampshire N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 618:6 Place of Committal

Any person sentenced to pay a fine shall be ordered to be imprisoned until sentence is performed, or he or she is otherwise legally discharged, in the county correctional facility

+ See more
in which the crime was committed. This section shall not be construed as authorizing the confinement of any juvenile under the age of 17 years in a county correctional facility for the nonpayment of a fine.

Incarceration All Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Rhode Island R.I. Gen. Laws. Ann. § 12-21-1(1) Methods of recovering fines and forfeitures

Unless otherwise specially provided:

(1)  All fines of five hundred dollars ($ 500) and under shall be recovered by complaint and summons;

(2)  All fines of upwards of five hundred dollars ($ 500), by

+ See more
indictment or information;

(3)  All penalties and pecuniary forfeitures, by action of debt; and

(4)  All forfeitures of personal property, by complaint and warrant or by information.

Civil judgment, Other All Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Rhode Island R.I. Gen. Laws. Ann. § 12-21-33 Suspension of operators' license for failure to pay costs, fines, fees, or assessments

A judge of the superior or district court or the traffic tribunal may order the suspension of a person's license issued pursuant to chapter 10 of title 31 if the

+ See more
person fails to pay court ordered costs, fines, fees, restitution or assessments within the time period provided for in an order of the court. The judge may order the suspension to be effective until the person complies with the court order.

Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Rhode Island R.I. Gen. Laws. Ann. § 12-25-26 Recovery of victim compensation from offender

Whenever any person is convicted of an offense and compensation is awarded under this chapter or under the 1972 Act for a personal injury or death resulting from the act

+ See more
constituting the offense, the state of Rhode Island shall institute an action against that person for the recovery of the whole or any specified part of the compensation in the superior court of the state of Rhode Island in any county, or in the state or federal court of any other state or district in which that person resides or is found, or make a finding in writing, of the reasons why it is impractical or impossible to institute that action. The office shall pursue the recovery whenever possible in order to provide additional funds for the violent crimes indemnity account. The administrator shall develop rules and regulations pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act, chapter 35 of title 42, to identify those so convicted, determine their ability to compensate the fund, and file whatever action is appropriate to recoup those funds.

Civil judgment, Other All Yes