Data Explorer: Enforcement Mechanisms | 50 State Criminal Justice Debt Tool

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
Add to Dashboard + Create New	North Dakota	N.D. Cent. Code § 12.1-32-05(3)	Imposition of fine--Response to nonpayment	3. If the defendant does not pay the fine, or make any required partial payment, the court, upon motion of the prosecuting attorney or on its own motion, may issue + See more an order to show cause why the defendant should not be imprisoned for nonpayment. Unless the defendant shows that his default is excusable, the court may sentence him to the following periods of imprisonment for failure to pay a fine:a. If the defendant was convicted of a misdemeanor, to a period not to exceed thirty days. b. If the defendant was convicted of a felony, to a period not to exceed six months.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	North Dakota	N.D. Cent. Code § 12.1-32-05(3)	Imposition of fine--Response to nonpayment	If the defendant does not pay the fine, or make any required partial payment, the court, upon motion of the prosecuting attorney or on its own motion, may issue an + See more order to show cause why the defendant should not be imprisoned for nonpayment. Unless the defendant shows that his default is excusable, the court may sentence him to the following periods of imprisonment for failure to pay a fine: a. If the defendant was convicted of a misdemeanor, to a period not to exceed thirty days. b. If the defendant was convicted of a felony, to a period not to exceed six months.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	North Dakota	N.D. Cent. Code § 29-27-03	Judgment for imprisonment or as response to nonpayment of fine	If a judgment is for imprisonment, initially or as response to nonpayment of a fine in accordance with section 12.1-32-05, the defendant forthwith must be committed to the custody of + See more the proper officer and be detained by that officer until the judgment is complied with.	Incarceration	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	North Dakota	N.D. Cent. Code § 40-11-12	Commitment of guilty person for nonpayment of fines or costs	Any person upon whom any fine or costs, or both, has been imposed for violation of a municipal ordinance may, after hearing, be committed upon order of the court to + See more jail or other place provided by the municipality for the incarceration of offenders until the fine or costs, or both, are fully paid or discharged by labor as provided in section 40-18-12. The court may not commit a person under this section when the sole reason for the person's nonpayment of fines or costs, or both, is the person's indigence. An order of commitment under this section shall not be for a period in excess of thirty days. As used in this section, “fine” does not include a fee established pursuant to subsection 2 of section 40-05-06.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	North Dakota	N.D. Cent. Code § 27-10-01.4(1)(b)	Remedial sanctions--Punitive sanctions for nonsummary and summary procedure--Past conduct	1. A court may impose one or more of the following remedial sanctions:b. Imprisonment if the contempt of court is of a type included in subdivision b, c, d, e, + See more or f of subsection 1 of section 27-10-01.1 (providing that contempt of court includes "Intentional nonpayment of a sum of money ordered by the court to be paid in a case when by law execution cannot be awarded for the collection of the sum") The imprisonment may extend for as long as the contemnor continues the contempt or six months, whichever is shorter.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 + See more 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.	Incarceration	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	South Dakota	S.D. Codified Laws § 23A-47-6	Failure to comply with plan of restitution or of financial obligation constitutes violation of conditions — Modification of plan — Contempt	Failure of any individual in this system to comply with the plan of restitution or plan for financial obligations as approved or modified by the court constitutes a violation of + See more the conditions within this system. Without limitation, the court may modify the plan of restitution or financial obligation, extend the period of time for restitution or financial obligation, or continue the individual in the administrative financial accountability system. If the individual fails to make payment as ordered by the court, the individual may be held in contempt of the court’s order.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	South Dakota	S.D. Codified Laws § 216-15-7	Resistance to judicial process as misdemeanorEvery person guilty of any contempt of court by intentional disobedience of any process or order lawfully issued by any court is guilty of a + See more Class 2 misdemeanor.	Every person guilty of any contempt of court by intentional disobedience of any process or order lawfully issued by any court is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	South Dakota	S.D. Codified Laws § 223A-27-25.4	Default in payment of fine or costs and restitution	If a defendant sentenced to pay a fine, costs, or restitution, defaults in the timely payment thereof, the court may, upon its own motion or upon motion of the state's + See more attorney, require the defendant to show cause why he should not be imprisoned or jailed for nonpayment. The court may issue a warrant of arrest, bench warrant, or order to show cause for the defendant's appearance.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	South Dakota	S.D. Codified Laws § 223A-27-25.5	Hearing required prior to imprisonment or jailing for failure to pay fine, costs, and restitution--Burden of proof--Computation of time to be served	No defendant may be imprisoned or jailed for failure to pay a fine, costs, or restitution or have any suspended prison or jail sentence revoked without a prior hearing. At + See more the hearing, the defendant has the burden of proof to establish to the reasonable satisfaction of the magistrate or circuit judge that the defendant did not willfully fail to pay the fine, costs, or restitution or that the defendant did make a bona fide effort to pay the fine, costs, or restitution. Failure by the defendant to make such a showing is grounds for being imprisoned or jailed. If the sentence provided for payment of fine or costs only, the term of jail or imprisonment may be no longer than the number of days equal to the total amount of the fine or costs imposed divided by sixty. For purposes of making this computation, any fraction of less than one day shall be dropped from the term of imprisonment. In no event may such imprisonment for failure to pay the fine, costs, and restitution together with all other time served or to be served exceed the maximum allowed by statute. If the defendant establishes that nonpayment was not willful or that the defendant did make a bona fide effort to pay, the defendant may not be imprisoned or jailed for nonpayment. The magistrate or circuit judge shall consider other alternatives which take into account the state's interest in punishment and deterrence. The court shall make findings in its decision.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	South Dakota	S.D. Codified Laws § 223A-28-8	Failure to comply as violation of conditions of probation--Modification of plan by court--Contempt	Failure of the defendant to comply with § 23A-28-3 or to comply with the plan of restitution as approved or modified by the court constitutes a violation of the conditions + See more of probation. Without limitation, the court may modify the plan of restitution or extend the period of time for restitution, regardless of whether the defendant is no longer on probation. If the defendant fails to make payment as ordered by the court, the defendant may be held in contempt of the court's order.	Condition or extension of supervision, Extension of probation/supervision, Incarceration, Payment plan/installment plan	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Utah	Utah Code Ann. § 76-3-201.1	Collection of criminal judgments--warrants	When a defendant defaults in the payment of a criminal judgment account receivable or any installment of that receivable, the court, on motion of the prosecution, victim, or upon its + See more own motion may: (a) order the defendant to appear and show cause why the default should not be treated as contempt of court; or (b) issue a warrant of arrest...(4)(a) Unless the defendant shows that the default was not attributable to an intentional refusal to obey the order of the court or to a failure to make a good faith effort to make the payment, the court may find that the default constitutes contempt. (b) Upon a finding of contempt, the court may order the defendant committed until the criminal judgment account receivable, or a specified part of it, is paid...(5) If it appears to the satisfaction of the court that the default is not contempt, the court may enter an order for any of the following or any combination of the following...(d) except as provided in Section 77-18-8[fines issued in addition to imprisonment or in lieu of imprisonment], execute the original sentence of imprisonment	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Utah	Utah Code Ann. § 76-3-201.1	Collection of criminal judgments--reduce fines	When a defendant defaults in the payment of a criminal judgment account receivable or any installment of that receivable, the court, on motion of the prosecution, victim, or upon its + See more own motion may: (a) order the defendant to appear and show cause why the default should not be treated as contempt of court; or (b) issue a warrant of arrest...	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Utah	Utah Code Ann. § 77-18-8	Fine not paid--Commitment	If a defendant fails to pay the fine and thereafter the court finds that the defendant failed to make a good faith effort to pay the fine, the court may, + See more after a hearing, order the execution of the suspended jail or prison sentence. If a defendant is sentenced to pay a fine only or is sentenced to jail or prison and a fine, with neither suspended, he shall not later be committed to jail for failure to pay the fine.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 more 30 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.	Incarceration	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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, + See more 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.	Condition or extension of supervision, Work program/jail industry program	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 + See more 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.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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. + See more 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.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Wyoming	Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-16-104	Labor by prisoners. County jail. Credits.	7-16-104. Credits. (a) The sentencing court may reduce the term of a sentence, fine, costs or attorney fees of a prisoner sentenced to imprisonment or placed on probation, for work + See more performed under W.S. 7-16-101 through 7-16-104. (b) If a reduction is ordered pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the reduction shall be: (i) At the rate of one (1) day for each eight (8) hours of work performed under W.S. 7-16-101 through 7-16-104, provided the reduction in sentence shall not exceed one-half (1/2) of the original sentence; (ii) In an amount equal to the federal minimum hourly wage for each hour of work performed provided that the total amount of reduction in the fine, costs or attorney fees shall not exceed one-half (1/2) of the total amount of the fine, costs and attorney fees. (c) The court shall direct whether the credits under subsection (b) of this section shall apply against the prisoner's term of imprisonment, his fine, court costs, attorney fees or other fees imposed by the court. (d) A person committed to county jail for refusal to pay a fine or costs shall, in addition to the credit allowed by W.S. 6-10-105, be granted a credit against his fine or costs in an amount equal to the federal minimum hourly wage for each hour of work performed.	Work program/jail industry program	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 + See more 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.	Incarceration	All	No

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