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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- Payment plan/installment plan (1)
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Mandatory
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Level of Offense
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.
25 Results
| State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Type of poverty penalty or poverty trap | Level of offense | Mandatory | |
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Utah | Utah Code Ann. § 77-38a-401 | Entry of judgment--Interest--Civil actions--Lien |
(1) Upon the court determining that a defendant owes restitution, the clerk of the court shall enter an order of complete restitution as defined in Section 77-38a-302 on the civil + See morejudgment docket and provide notice of the order to the parties. (2) The order shall be considered a legal judgment, enforceable under the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure. In addition, the department may, on behalf of the person in whose favor the restitution order is entered, enforce the restitution order as judgment creditor under the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure. (3) If the defendant fails to obey a court order for payment of restitution and the victim or department elects to pursue collection of the order by civil process, the victim shall be entitled to recover collection and reasonable attorney fees.
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Property liens | All | Yes |
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Utah | Utah Code Ann. § 77-18-6.5(2) | Liability of rescued person for costs of emergency response |
The judgment shall constitute a lien when recorded in the judgment docket and shall have the same effect and is subject to the same rules as a judgment for money + See morein a civil action.
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Property liens | All | Yes |
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Utah | Utah Code Ann. § 77-32a-10 | Imprisonment for contempt |
The term of imprisonment for contempt for nonpayment of costs shall be set forth in the commitment order, and shall not exceed one day for each $25 of the costs, + See more30 days if the costs were imposed upon conviction of a misdemeanor, or six months in the case of a felony, whichever is the shorter period. A person committed for nonpayment of costs shall be given credit toward payment for each day of imprisonment at the rate specified in the commitment order.
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Incarceration | All | Yes |
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Utah | Utah Code Ann. § 41-1a-1301 | Unpaid fees and penalty--Lien--Seizure and sale |
Every registration fee and penalty not paid by the due date is a lien upon all: i) the unexempt personal property of the owner or operator of the vehicle, vessel, + See moreor outboard motor; and ii) interest or equity of the owner or operator in all personal property, including vehicles, vessels, or outboard motors
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Property liens | Traffic | Yes |
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Utah | Utah Code Ann. § 77-38a-502 | Collection from inmate offenders |
In addition to the remedies provided in Section 77-38a-501, the department upon written request of the prosecutor, victim, or parole or probation agent, shall collect restitution from offender funds held + See moreby the department as provided in Section 64-13-23.
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Wage/bank account garnishment | All | Yes |
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Illinois | 730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/5-6-3(a)(7) | Conditions of probation and of conditional discharge |
(7) if he or she is at least 17 years of age and has been sentenced to probation or conditional discharge for a misdemeanor or felony in a county of 3,000,000 or more inhabitants and has not been previously convicted of a misdemeanor or felony, may be required by the sentencing court to attend educational courses designed to prepare the defendant for a high school diploma and to work toward a high school diploma or to work toward passing high school equivalency testing or to work toward completing a vocational training program approved by the court. The person on probation or conditional discharge must attend a public institution of education to obtain the educational or vocational training required by this paragraph (7). The court shall revoke the probation or conditional discharge of a person who wilfully fails to comply with this paragraph (7). The person on probation or conditional discharge shall be required to pay for the cost of the educational courses or high school equivalency testing if a fee is charged for those courses or testing.
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Condition or extension of supervision | All | Yes |
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Illinois | 730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/5-6-3(i) | Conditions of probation and of conditional discharge |
(i) The court shall impose upon an offender sentenced to probation after January 1, 1989 or to conditional discharge after January 1, 1992 or to community service under the supervision of a probation or court services department after January 1, 2004, as a condition of such probation or conditional discharge or supervised community service, a fee of $50 for each month of probation or conditional discharge supervision or supervised community service ordered by the court, unless after determining the inability of the person sentenced to probation or conditional discharge or supervised community service to pay the fee, the court assesses a lesser fee.
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Condition or extension of supervision | All | Yes |
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Illinois | 730 ILCS 5/5-6-3(b)(10)(iv) | Conditions of probation and of conditional discharge |
(iv) for persons convicted of any alcohol, cannabis or controlled substance violation who are placed on an approved monitoring device as a condition of probation or conditional discharge, the court shall impose a reasonable fee for each day of the use of the device, as established by the county board in subsection (g) of this Section, unless after determining the inability of the offender to pay the fee, the court assesses a lesser fee or no fee as the case may be.
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Condition or extension of supervision | All | Yes |
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Illinois | 725 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/124A-10 | Lien |
The property, real and personal, of a person who is convicted of an offense shall be bound, and a lien is created on the property, both real and personal, of every offender, not exempt from the enforcement of a judgment or attachment, from the time of finding the indictment at least so far as will be sufficient to pay the fine and costs of prosecution.
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Property liens | All | Yes |
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Illinois | 730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/5-9-3(e) | Fines: Default |
An additional fee of 30% of the delinquent amount and each taxable court cost including, without limitation, costs of service of process, shall be charged to the offender for any amount of the fine, fee, cost, restitution, or judgment of bond forfeiture or installment of the fine, fee, cost, restitution, or judgment of bond forfeiture that remains unpaid after the time fixed for payment of the fine, fee, cost, restitution, or judgment of bond forfeiture by the court.
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Collection fee/interest | All | Yes |
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Illinois | 730 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/5-9-3(e) | Fines: Default |
A default in payment of a fine, fee, cost, restitution, or judgment of bond forfeiture shall draw interest at the rate of 9% per annum. |
Collection fee/interest | All | Yes |
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Illinois | 625 Ill. Comp. Stat. 5/6-206.1 | Monitoring Device Driving Permit |
Declaration of Policy. It is hereby declared a policy of the State of Illinois that the driver who is impaired by alcohol, other drug or drugs, or intoxicating compound or compounds is a threat to the public safety and welfare. Therefore, to provide a deterrent to such practice, a statutory summary driver’s license suspension is appropriate. It is also recognized that driving is a privilege and therefore, that the granting of driving privileges, in a manner consistent with public safety, is warranted during the period of suspension in the form of a monitoring device driving permit . . . Any offender participating in the MDDP program must pay the Secretary a MDDP Administration Fee in an amount not to exceed $30 per month, to be deposited into the Monitoring Device Driving Permit Administration Fee Fund. The Secretary shall establish by rule the amount and the procedures, terms, and conditions relating to these fees. The offender must have an ignition interlock device installed within 14 days of the date the Secretary issues the MDDP. The ignition interlock device provider must notify the Secretary, in a manner and form prescribed by the Secretary, of the installation. If the Secretary does not receive notice of installation, the Secretary shall cancel the MDDP
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Driver's license suspension/impoundment | Traffic | Yes |
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South Dakota | S.D. Codified Laws § 32-35-62 | Failure to pay installments--Suspension of licenses. |
In the event the judgment debtor referred to in § 32-35-61 fails to pay any installment as specified by such order, then upon notice of such default, the Department of Public Safety shall forthwith suspend the license or nonresident's operating privilege and the Department of Revenue shall forthwith suspend the registration of the judgment debtor until such judgment is satisfied, as provided in this chapter.
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Driver's license suspension/impoundment | All | Yes |
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South Dakota | S.D. Codified Laws § 32-23-4.10 | Costs payable to county--Nonpayment punishable by contempt. |
In addition to any other penalty, assessment, or fine provided by law, the court shall order any person convicted of a crime for a violation of § 32-23-1 to remit costs in the amount of fifty dollars to the clerk of courts. The clerk of courts shall forward any amount collected pursuant to this section to the county treasurer for deposit in the county general fund. Failure to remit the amount to the clerk of courts in the time specified by the court is punishable by contempt proceedings.
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Incarceration | All | Yes |
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South Dakota | S.D. Codified Laws § 32-35-57 | Length of suspension pursuant to Section 32-35-52 |
A license, registration, and nonresident's operating privilege suspended pursuant to § 32-35-52 shall remain so suspended and shall not be renewed, nor shall any such license or registration be thereafter issued in the name of such person, including any such person not previously licensed, unless and until every such judgment is stayed, satisfied in full, or to the extent provided in § 32-35-59, and until the said person gives proof of financial responsibility subject to the exemptions stated in §§ 32-35-54, 32-35-55, and 32-35-61.
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Driver's license suspension/impoundment | All | Yes |
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Texas | Tex. Code Crim. Proc. art. 42.15(c) | Fines and Costs |
When imposing a fine and costs in a misdemeanor case, if the court determines that the defendant is unable to immediately pay the fine and costs, the court shall allow the defendant to pay the fine and costs in specified portions at designated intervals.
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Payment plan/installment plan | Misdemeanor | Yes |
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Texas | Tex. Loc. Gov't Code § 133.103(a) | Time Payment fee |
A person convicted of an offense shall pay, in addition to all other costs, a fee of $25 if the person:(1) has been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor; and (2) pays any part of a fine, court costs, or restitution on or after the 31st day after the date on which a judgment is entered assessing the fine, court costs, or restitution.
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Increased fine | All | Yes |
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Texas | Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Art. 42A.607 | Disposition of Salary |
If a defendant who is required as a condition of community supervision to serve a term of confinement under this subchapter is not required by the judge to deliver the defendant’s salary to the restitution center director, the employer of the defendant shall deliver the salary to the director. The director shall deposit the salary into a fund to be given to the defendant on release after the director deducts:
(1) the cost to the center for the defendant’s food, housing, and supervision; (2) the necessary expense for the defendant’s travel to and from work and community service projects, and other incidental expenses of the defendant; (3) support of the defendant’s dependents; and (4) restitution to the victims of an offense committed by the defendant |
Wage/bank account garnishment | All | Yes |
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Texas | Tex. Gov't Code Sec. 501.014(a),(e)(2),(4)-(6) | Inmate Money |
(a) The department shall take possession of all money that an inmate has on the inmate’s person or that is received with the inmate when the inmate arrives at a facility to be admitted to the custody of the department and all money the inmate receives at the department during confinement and shall credit the money to an account created for the inmate . . .
(e) On notification by a court, the department shall withdraw from an inmate’s account any amount the inmate is ordered to pay by order of the court under this subsection. On receipt of a valid court order requiring an inmate to pay child support, the department shall withdraw the appropriate amount from the inmate’s account under this subsection, regardless of whether the court order is provided by the court or another person. The department shall make a payment under this subsection as ordered by the court to either the court or the party specified in the court order. The department is not liable for withdrawing or failing to withdraw money or making payments or failing to make payments under this subsection. The department shall make withdrawals and payments from an inmate’s account under this subsection according to the following schedule of priorities: . . . (2) as payment in full for all orders for restitution . . . (4) as payment in full for all orders for court fees and costs; (5) as payment in full for all orders for fines; and (6) as payment in full for any other court order, judgment, or writ. |
Wage/bank account garnishment | All | Yes |
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Texas | Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Art. 42A.607 | Disposition of Salary |
If a defendant who is required as a condition of community supervision to serve a term of confinement under this subchapter is not required by the judge to deliver the defendant’s salary to the restitution center director, the employer of the defendant shall deliver the salary to the director. The director shall deposit the salary into a fund to be given to the defendant on release after the director deducts: (1) the cost to the center for the defendant’s food, housing, and supervision; (2) the necessary expense for the defendant’s travel to and from work and community service projects, and other incidental expenses of the defendant; (3) support of the defendant’s dependents; and (4) restitution to the victims of an offense committed by the defendant.
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Wage/bank account garnishment | All | Yes |
The Criminal Justice Debt Reform Builder is a project of the National Criminal Justice Debt Initiative of the Criminal Justice Policy Program at Harvard Law School in collaboration with the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University and with user experience design by metaLAB (at) Harvard.
For more information, please visit cjpp.law.harvard.edu.