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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Colorado Colo. Rev. Stat. § 16-11-101.6(6)(a) Collection of Fines and Fees - Methods - Charges - Judicial Collection Enhancement Fund

The judicial department may enter into a memorandum of understanding with the state treasurer, acting as the administrator of unclaimed property under the "Unclaimed Property Act", article 13 of title

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38, C.R.S., for the purpose of offsetting against a claim for unclaimed property the amount of outstanding fines, fees, costs, or surcharges owed pursuant to law or an order entered by a court of this state by the person claiming unclaimed property. When an offset is to be made, the judicial department or the court to which the fines, fees, costs, or surcharges are owed shall notify the defendant in writing that the state intends to offset the defendant's outstanding fines, fees, costs, or surcharges against his or her claim for unclaimed property.

Property liens All No
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Colorado Colo. Rev. Stat. § 16-11-101.8(1) State Income Tax Refund Offsets - Fines, Fees, Costs, or Surcharges - Definitions

In any case in which a defendant has an unsatisfied fine, fee, cost, or surcharge obligation imposed pursuant to law or a court order, the judicial department is authorized to

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transmit data concerning the obligation to the department of revenue for the purpose of conducting a data match and offsetting the obligation against a state income tax refund pursuant to section 39-21-108(3), or lottery winnings pursuant to section 44-40-114.

Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Colorado Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-1.3-207(2) Work and Education Release Programs

All employment income of a probationer participating in a work release program shall be received and deposited by the probation officer in the registry of the court.

Work program/jail industry program All Yes
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Colorado Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-1.3-702(3)(b) Monetary Payments - Due Process Required

Except in the case of a corporation, if the defendant failed to pay a monetary amount due and the record indicates that the defendant has willfully failed to pay that

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monetary amount, the court, when appropriate, may consider a motion to impose part or all of a suspended sentence, may consider a motion to revoke probation, or may institute proceedings for contempt of court.

Condition or extension of supervision All No
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Colorado Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-1.3-702(2)(c) Monetary Payments - Due Process Required

If the defendant has the ability to pay the monetary amount as directed by the court or the court's designee but willfully fails to pay, the defendant may be imprisoned

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for failure to comply with the court's lawful order to pay pursuant to the terms of this section.

Incarceration All No
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Colorado Colo. Rev. Stat. § 18-1.3-702(5) Monetary Payments - Failure to Pay

(5) If the court finds a defendant in contempt of court for willful failure to pay, the court may direct that the defendant be imprisoned until the monetary payment ordered

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by the court is made, but the court shall specify a maximum period of imprisonment subject to the following limits: (a) When the monetary amount was imposed for a felony, the period shall not exceed one year; (b)  When the monetary amount was imposed for a misdemeanor, the period shall not exceed one-third of the maximum term of imprisonment authorized for the misdemeanor; (c)  When the monetary amount was imposed for a petty offense, a traffic violation, or a violation of a municipal ordinance, any of which is punishable by a possible jail sentence, the period shall not exceed fifteen days; (d) There shall be no imprisonment in those cases when no imprisonment is provided for in the possible sentence; and (e) When a sentence of imprisonment and a monetary amount was imposed, the aggregate of the period and the term of the sentence shall not exceed the maximum term of imprisonment authorized for the offense.

Incarceration All No
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Massachusetts Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 276, § 31 Default Warrant for Failure to Pay — Additional Fees — Payment to Court's Administrative Office.

Whenever a court issues a default warrant solely due to the person’s failure to pay a fine, assessment, court cost, restitution, support payment or other amount as ordered by the

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court or required by law, the court shall specify the amount owed, including an additional assessment of $50 which assessment may be waived by the court upon a finding of good cause or upon a finding that such an assessment would cause a substantial financial hardship to the person, the person’s immediate family or the person’s dependents, with a statement that the warrant against the person may be discharged upon payment of the amount and the assessment, if any, and shall note the same in the warrant management system. The administrative office of the trial court shall accept payment of such fine, assessment, court cost, restitution, support payment or other amount as ordered by the court, along with any assessment, to be remitted by mail, telephone or other electronic means, in any form deemed acceptable by the trial court. Upon receipt of payment, the warrant against the person shall be discharged, the discharge shall be noted in the warrant management system and the individual shall receive notice of the discharge within seven days.

Incarceration, Increased fine All Yes
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Massachusetts Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 276, § 32 Default Warrant for Failure to Pay — Additional Fees — Payment of Person Before Court.

Whenever a person, brought before a court, against whom an outstanding warrant was issued, solely due to the failure of the person brought before the court to pay a fine

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assessment, court cost, restitution, support payment, or other amount, the court may accept payment of such amount and assess an additional fifty dollars which assessment may be waived by the court upon a finding of good cause and if the person is not being held on other process, the court may direct that the person be released from custody and shall notify the jurisdiction in which the warrant was issued of the payment and the assessment, if any. Upon notice of the release the court that issued the warrant shall recall the warrant and cause such information to be entered in the warrant management system.

Incarceration, Increased fine All No
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Massachusetts Ma. Dist./Mun. Ct. R. Prob. Violation Rule 8(d) Finding and disposition

After the court has entered a finding that a violation of probation has occurred, the court may order any of the following dispositions set forth below, as it deems appropriate.

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These dispositional alternatives shall be the exclusive options available to the court. The court shall proceed to determine disposition promptly following the entry of a finding of violation. General continuances are prohibited. Awaiting the disposition of an underlying criminal charge shall not constitute such good cause for any continuance. In determining its disposition, the court shall give such weight as it may deem appropriate to the recommendation of the Probation Department, the probationer, and the District Attorney, if any, and to such factors as public safety; the circumstances of any crime for which the probationer was placed on probation; the nature of the probation violation; the occurrence of any previous violations; and the impact of the underlying crime on any person or community, as well as any mitigating factors.

(i) Continuance of Probation. The court may decline to modify or revoke probation and, instead, issue to the probationer such admonition or instruction as it may deem appropriate.

(ii) Termination. The court may terminate the probation order.

(iii) Modification. The court may modify the conditions of probation. Such modification may include the addition of reasonable conditions and the extension of the duration of the probation order.

(iv) Revocation, statement of reasons. The court may order that the order of probation be revoked. If the court orders revocation, it shall state the reasons therefor in writing. 

Condition or extension of supervision All No
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Oregon Or. Rev. Stat. § 1.005 Credit card transactions for fees, security deposits, fines and other court-imposed obligations; rules

The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court or the presiding judge of any judicial district of this state may establish by rule a program to permit the use of credit

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card transactions as security deposits, fines, assessments, restitution or any other court-imposed monetary obligation arising out of an offense. The program may also provide for the use of credit card transactions to pay for filing fees, response fees, certification fees and any other fees charged by the court. Any rules adopted pursuant to this section may provide for recovery from the person using the credit card of an additional amount reasonably calculated to recover any charge to the court by a credit card company resulting from use of the credit card.

Other All No