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.

17 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

Louisiana LA Rev Stat §1381.2. Orleans ParishSheriff's detention and prison security fee fund
A. Any defendant, other than an indigent, who pleads guilty or is convicted of an offense by the Criminal District Court for the Parish of Orleans shall be assessed a
+ See more
fee of not less than twenty-five dollars, such costs to be in addition to any fine, clerk's fees, costs due to the criminal court cost fund or sentence imposed by the court. When any defendant, other than an indigent, fails to pay the costs referred to hereinabove, he shall be sentenced to a term of thirty days in the parish prison in default of the payment of same.
Incarceration All Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Louisiana CCRP 884 Sentence of fine with imprisonment for default
If a sentence imposed includes a fine or costs, the sentence shall provide that in default of payment thereof the defendant shall be imprisoned for a specified period not to
+ See more
exceed one year; provided that where the maximum prison sentence which may be imposed as a penalty for a misdemeanor is six months or less, the total period of imprisonment upon conviction of the offense, including imprisonment for default in payment of a fine or costs, shall not exceed six months for that offense.
Incarceration All No
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Louisiana CCRP 885 fine and costs
A defendant who has been imprisoned for default in the payment of a fine, or fine and costs, under a sentence imposed pursuant to Article 884, may, at any time
+ See more
before expiration of the term of imprisonment, obtain his release by paying to his custodian all of the costs imposed and a sum of money that bears the same proportion to the imposed fine as the term of alternate imprisonment yet to run bears to the whole of such term of imprisonment.
Incarceration All No
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Louisiana La. Stat. Ann. § 13:4611 Contempt
For any other contempt of court, including disobeying an order for the payment of child support or spousal support or an order for the right of custody or visitation, by
+ See more
a fine of not more than five hundred dollars, or imprisonment for not more than three months, or both.
Incarceration All No
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Louisiana LA Rev Stat §13:1377.A Thirty day jail term
A. Any defendant, other than an indigent, who pleads guilty or is convicted of an offense by the Criminal District Court for the Parish of Orleans shall be assessed
+ See more
costs of court not to exceed the sum of one hundred dollars, such costs to be in addition to any fine, clerk's fees or sentence imposed by the court. When any defendant, other than an indigent, fails to pay the costs referred to hereinabove, he shall be sentenced to a term of thirty days in the parish prison in default of the payment of same.
Incarceration All Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Louisiana LA REV Stat §30:2531.6.H(3) Failure to pay fine for littering offense His failure to appear at this second hearing could subject him to another charge of contempt of court along with the punishment of serving time in jail. Incarceration Misdemeanor No
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Florida Fla. Stat. §948.06(5) Violation of probation or community control; revocation; modification; continuance; failure to pay restitution or cost of supervision

In any hearing in which the failure of a probationer or offender in community control to pay restitution or the cost of supervision as provided in s. 948.09, as directed,

+ See more
is established by the state, if the probationer or offender asserts his or her inability to pay restitution or the cost of supervision, it is incumbent upon the probationer or offender to prove by clear and convincing evidence that he or she does not have the present resources available to pay restitution or the cost of supervision despite sufficient bona fide efforts legally to acquire the resources to do so. If the probationer or offender cannot pay restitution or the cost of supervision despite sufficient bona fide efforts, the court shall consider alternate measures of punishment other than imprisonment. Only if alternate measures are not adequate to meet the state's interests in punishment and deterrence may the court imprison a probationer or offender in community control who has demonstrated sufficient bona fide efforts to pay restitution or the cost of supervision.

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

+ Create New

Florida Fla. Stat. §984.09(2) Punishment for contempt of court; alternative sanctions

PLACEMENT IN A SECURE FACILITY.—A child may be placed in a secure facility for purposes of punishment for contempt of court if alternative sanctions are unavailable or inappropriate, or if

+ See more
the child has already been ordered to serve an alternative sanction but failed to comply with the sanction.(a) A delinquent child who has been held in direct or indirect contempt may be placed in a secure detention facility for 5 days for a first offense or 15 days for a second or subsequent offense, or in a secure residential commitment facility. (b) A child in need of services who has been held in direct contempt or indirect contempt may be placed, for 5 days for a first offense or 15 days for a second or subsequent offense, in a staff-secure shelter or a staff-secure residential facility solely for children in need of services if such placement is available, or, if such placement is not available, the child may be placed in an appropriate mental health facility or substance abuse facility for assessment. In addition to disposition under this paragraph, a child in need of services who is held in direct contempt or indirect contempt may be placed in a physically secure setting as provided under s. 984.226 if conditions of eligibility are met.

Incarceration All No
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Florida Fla. Stat. §938.30(2) Financial obligations in criminal cases; supplementary proceedings

The court may require a person liable for payment of an obligation to appear and be examined under oath concerning the person’s financial ability to pay the obligation. The judge

+ See more
may convert the statutory financial obligation into a court-ordered obligation to perform community service, subject to the provisions of s. 318.18(8), after examining a person under oath and determining the person’s inability to pay. Any person who fails to attend a hearing may be arrested on warrant or capias issued by the clerk upon order of the court.

Incarceration All No
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Florida Fla. Stat. §901.11 Effect of not answering summons

Failure to appear as commanded by a summons without good cause is an indirect criminal contempt of court and may be punished by a fine of not more than $100.

+ See more
When a person fails to appear as commanded by a summons, the trial court judge shall issue a warrant. If the trial court judge acquires reason to believe that the person summoned will not appear as commanded after issuing a summons, the trial court judge may issue a warrant.

Incarceration All No
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Florida Fla. Stat. §939.04 Execution for costs in other cases

In all cases less than capital, wherein the defendant may be adjudged to pay costs, a capias may be issued, as is provided for the collection of fines and forfeitures.

Incarceration All No
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Florida Fla. Stat. §901.31 Failure to obey written promise to appear

Any person who willfully fails to appear before any court or judicial officer as required by a written notice to appear shall be fined not more than the fine of

+ See more
the principal charge or imprisoned up to the maximum sentence of imprisonment of the principal charge, or both, regardless of the disposition of the charge upon which the person was originally arrested. Nothing in this section shall interfere with or prevent the court from exercising its power to punish for contempt.

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

+ Create New

Florida Fla. Stat. §941.18 Forfeiture of bail

If the prisoner is admitted to bail, and fails to appear and surrender himself or herself according to the conditions of his or her bond, the judge shall declare the

+ See more
bond forfeited and order his or her immediate arrest without warrant if he or she is within this state. Recovery may be had on such bond in the name of the state as in the case of other bonds given by the accused in criminal proceedings within this state.

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

+ Create New

Florida Fla. Stat. §903.105 Appearance bonds

Any person who willfully fails to appear before any court or judicial officer as required by a written notice to appear shall be fined not more than the fine of

+ See more
the principal charge or imprisoned up to the maximum sentence of imprisonment of the principal charge, or both, regardless of the disposition of the charge upon which the person was originally arrested. Nothing in this section shall interfere with or prevent the court from exercising its power to punish for contempt.

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

+ Create New

Florida Fla. Stat. §951.16 Prisoners entitled to receive credit on fine based on imprisonment

Every person who may be imprisoned in the county jail for failure to pay a fine and costs, or either, under sentence imposed upon conviction for crime shall be entitled

+ See more
to receive, together with subsistence, a credit on such fine and costs, or either, as the case may be, in proportion to the time such person may be imprisoned.

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

+ Create New

Florida Fla. Stat. §922.04 Discharge of prisoner unable to pay fine

When the court determines on the written application of a prisoner that he or she has been imprisoned for 60 days solely for failure to pay a fine or costs

+ See more
which total not more than $300 and that the prisoner is indigent and unable to pay the fine or costs, the court shall order the prisoner discharged from custody.

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

+ Create New

Florida Fla. Stat. §984.09(1) Punishment for contempt of court; alternative sanctions

The court may punish any child for contempt for interfering with the court or with court administration, or for violating any provision of this chapter or order of the court

+ See more
relative thereto. It is the intent of the Legislature that the court restrict and limit the use of contempt powers with respect to commitment of a child to a secure facility. A child who commits direct contempt of court or indirect contempt of a valid court order may be taken into custody and ordered to serve an alternative sanction or placed in a secure facility, as authorized in this section, by order of the court.

Incarceration All No