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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- (-) Alabama (6)
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- Civil judgment (4)
- Collection fee/interest (8)
- Community service (4)
- Condition or extension of supervision (14)
- Driver's license suspension/impoundment (7)
- Extension of probation/supervision (1)
- Incarceration (27)
- Increased fine (8)
- Other (8)
- Payment plan/installment plan (14)
- Property liens (15)
- Wage/bank account garnishment (17)
- Work program/jail industry program (8)
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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.
115 Results
| State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Type of poverty penalty or poverty trap | Level of offense | Mandatory | |
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Arizona | Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 13-821(B) | Fines for drug offenses |
The court may suspend the imposition of a fine pursuant to this section if the person agrees to enter a residential drug rehabilitation program approved by the court and to pay for all or a part of the costs associated with the rehabilitation program. On successfully completing the program, the person may apply to the court for a reduction in the amount of the fine imposed pursuant to this section. If the person establishes to the satisfaction of the court that the person successfully completed the program, the court may reduce the fine by the amount the person paid to participate in the rehabilitation program. If the person fails to complete the program, the court shall enforce the collection of the entire fine that was imposed pursuant to subsection A.
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Work program/jail industry program | All | No |
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Arizona | Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 28-3308 | Mandatory Suspension; Failure to Appear |
On notification by the court that a person failed to appear as directed for a scheduled court appearance after service of a criminal complaint alleging a violation of a provision of this title, the department shall suspend the person’s driver license or nonresident operating privilege until the person appears. If the person appears and does not pay the person’s fines, surcharges or assessments, on notification by the court the department shall suspend the person’s driving privileges or restrict the person’s driving privileges as described in section 28-144 until the fines, surcharges and assessments are paid.
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Driver's license suspension/impoundment | Traffic | Yes |
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Arizona | Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 13-806 | Restitution Lien |
A. The state or any person entitled to restitution pursuant to a court order may file inaccordance with this section a restitution lien. A filing fee, recording fee or any other charge is not required for filing a restitution lien.
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Property liens | All | No |
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Arizona | Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 22-429(C) | Judgment; imprisonment for fine; limitation; lien |
A sentence that the defendant pay a fine, with or without the alternative of imprisonment, shall constitute a lien in like manner as a judgment for money rendered in a civil action.
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Property liens | All | Yes |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 534.020(3)(b),(4) | Methods of imposing fines; installment payment plan; determination of reason for defendant's default; show cause hearing; certain installment payments not to be reported as liquidated debt |
(b) If the defendant fails to appear at the show cause hearing, the court may issue a warrant for the defendant's arrest. Any warrant for arrest issued for nonpayment of court costs, fees, or fines pursuant to this subsection shall include a notice to the jailer that the defendant shall be released upon payment or completion of daily credit pursuant to KRS 534.070.
(4) When a defendant is sentenced to pay court costs, fees, or fines, an alternative sentence of imprisonment that is to be served in the event the court costs, fees, or fines are not paid shall not be imposed at the same time. The response of a court to nonpayment shall be determined only after: (a) The court costs, fees, or fines have not been paid; and (b) 1. The show cause hearing has been held pursuant to subsections (2)(a) and (3)(a) of this section; or 2. The defendant has failed to appear at the show cause hearing as outlined in subsection (3)(b) of this section. |
Other | All | No |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 534.070(1) | Incarceration for failure to pay fine or court costs or failure to appear in court; daily credit against fine or court costs for time served; application of partial payment |
(1) A defendant who has been sentenced to jail for failure to pay court costs, fees, or fines or for failure to appear in court on a date set for the sole purpose of addressing nonpayment of court costs, fees, or fines shall receive credit against the court costs, fees, or fines owed for each day the defendant spends in jail . . .
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Incarceration | All | No |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 431.100 |
Withholding of money payable by Commonwealth to defendant in satisfaction of money judgment in criminal proceeding; fines and forfeitures go to Commonwealth; disposition of fines from offenses relating to alcohol + See moreand to criminal littering; monetary . . .
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When a money judgment is entered against a defendant in a criminal proceeding and each sum, or any part thereof, remains unpaid, there shall be withheld from any disbursement, payment, benefit, compensation, salary, or other transfer of money from the Commonwealth of Kentucky to such defendant an amount equal to the unpaid amount of the judgment. Under no circumstances shall the general fund be used to reimburse court costs or pay for judgment.
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Wage/bank account garnishment | All | Yes |
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Kentucky | Ky. RCr 2.05 | Bench Warrants |
Whenever a witness or defendant fails to appear in court as duly required, the presiding judge may issue a warrant for his or her arrest without the necessity of a supporting affidavit or complaint.
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Other | All | No |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 534.020(1) | Methods of imposing fines; installment payment plan; determination of reason for defendant's default; show cause hearing; certain installment payments not to be reported as liquidated debt |
When a defendant is sentenced to pay a fine, the court may provide for payment to be made within a specified period of time or in specified installments. If no such provision is made a part of the sentence, then the fine shall be payable forthwith.
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Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 532.033(8) | Order of restitution |
When a judge orders restitution, the judge shall: (8) Not release the defendant from probation supervision until restitution has been paid in full and all other aspects of the probation order have been successfully completed.
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Condition or extension of supervision | All | Yes |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 24A.175(4) | Court cost enforcement |
(4) If the court finds that the defendant does not meet the standard articulated in subsection (3) of this section and that the defendant is nonetheless unable to pay the full amount of the court costs, fees, or fines at the time of sentencing, then the court may establish an installment payment plan in accordance with KRS 534.020.
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Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 441.265(3),(5)-(7) | Required reimbursement by prisoner of costs of confinement; local policy of fee and expense rates; billing and collection methods |
(3) The jailer or his designee may bill and attempt to collect any amount owed which remains unpaid. The governing body of the county may, upon the advice of the jailer, contract with one (1) or more public agencies or private vendors to perform this billing and collection. Within twelve (12) months after the date of the prisoner's release from confinement, the county attorney, jailer, or the jailer's designee, may file a civil action to seek reimbursement from that prisoner for any amount owed which remains unpaid . . .
(6) Payment of any required fees may be automatically deducted from the prisoner's property or canteen account. If the prisoner has no funds in his account, a deduction may be made creating a negative balance. If funds become available or if the prisoner reenters the jail at a later date, the fees may be deducted from the prisoner's property or canteen account. (7) Prior to the prisoner's release, the jailer or his designee may work with the confined prisoner to create a reimbursement plan to be implemented upon the prisoner's release. At the end of the prisoner's incarceration, the prisoner shall be presented with a billing statement produced by the jailer or designee. After the prisoner's release, the jailer or his designee may, after negotiation with the prisoner, release the prisoner from all or part of the prisoner's repayment obligation if the jailer believes that the prisoner will be unable to pay the full amount due. |
Civil judgment | All | No |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 532.162(2) | Order as lien upon earnings; circuit clerk to disburse; fee |
(2) The circuit clerk's office shall disburse all collected reimbursement, restitution, and fees to the victim, the Kentucky Claims Commission, or the local government, whichever is appropriate. The clerk shall be entitled to collect a fee of two dollars and fifty cents ($2.50) from each account for which a disbursement is made at the time of disbursement. In the event of challenge to a garnishment, the appropriate clerk's office shall not disburse those sums associated with the challenged garnishment until determination by the sentencing court regarding the propriety of the garnishment.
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Increased fine | All | No |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 532.160(1) | Criminal garnishment |
(1) If a convicted person is unable to pay all court costs, fees, fines, and other monetary penalties at the time of sentencing, then the sentencing court may, consistent with KRS 23A.205, 24A.175, 534.020, and KRS 534.060, issue a criminal garnishment order for all fines under KRS Chapter 534 or KRS 49.480 and for court costs, restitution, and reimbursement charges in this chapter.
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Wage/bank account garnishment | All | No |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 532.168 | Show cause hearing for failure to comply with criminal garnishment order |
If a garnishee fails to comply with the terms of the order of criminal garnishment within thirty (30) days after its issuance, the attorney for the Commonwealth may move the court to order the garnishee to show cause why he should not be held in contempt. If the court finds that the failure was willful or grossly negligent, the court shall find the garnishee in contempt and shall award reasonable attorney's fees and costs, in addition to any contempt sanction it imposes.
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Incarceration | All | No |
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Kentucky | Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 532.356(1)(a) | Reimbursement and restitution as additional sanctions; ineligibility to operate motor vehicle upon conviction of certain theft, fraud, and organized crime offenses |
(1) Upon a person's conviction and sentencing for any nonstatus juvenile offense, moving traffic violation, criminal violation, misdemeanor, or Class D felony offense, and, for the purposes of paragraph (b) of this subsection, any Class C felony offense listed in subsection (3) of this section, the court shall impose the following sanctions in addition to any imprisonment, fine, court cost, or community service:
(a) Reimbursement to the state or local government for the person's incarceration, determined by the per person, per diem, expenses of each prisoner incarcerated by the respective local government, times the number of days he has spent or shall spend in confinement, plus any medical services received by the prisoner, less copayments paid by the prisoner. The convicted person's ability to pay all or part of the reimbursement shall be considered by the sentencing court in imposing the sanction |
Increased fine | All | No |
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Missouri | Mo. Ann. Stat. § 558.006 | Response to nonpayment |
When an offender sentenced to pay a fine defaults in the payment of the fine or in any installment, the fine or installment shall be collected by any means authorized for the enforcement collection of money judgments, other than a lien against real estate, or may be waived at the discretion of the sentencing judge.
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Other, Wage/bank account garnishment | All | No |
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Missouri | Mo. Ann. Stat. § 559.016(3) | Terms of probation - extension |
The court may extend a period of probation, however, no more than one extension of any probation may be ordered except that the court may extend the total time on probation by one additional year by order of the court if the defendant admits he or she has violated the conditions of his or her probation or is found by the court to have violated the conditions of his or her probation.
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Condition or extension of supervision | All | No |
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Missouri | Mo. Ann. Stat. § 559.021(2)(1) | Conditions of probation--compensation of victims--free work, public or charitable--defendant not an employee for workers’ compensation purposes--payment to county restitution fund, when |
In addition to such other authority as exists to order conditions of probation, the court may order such conditions as the court believes will serve to compensate the victim, any dependent of the victim, any statutorily created fund for costs incurred as a result of the offender's actions, or society. Such conditions may include restorative justice methods pursuant to section 217.777, or any other method that the court finds just or appropriate including, but not limited to: (1) Restitution to the victim or any dependent of the victim, or statutorily created fund for costs incurred as a result of the offender's actions in an amount to be determined by the judge.
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Condition or extension of supervision | All | No |
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Missouri | Mo. Ann. Stat. § 476.120 | Punishment for contempt |
Punishment for contempt may be by fine or imprisonment in the jail of the county where the court may be sitting, or both, in the discretion of the court. |
Incarceration, Increased fine | All | No |
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.