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 (6)
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- Incarceration (17)
- Increased fine (4)
- Other (5)
- Payment plan/installment plan (12)
- Property liens (7)
- Wage/bank account garnishment (7)
- Work program/jail industry program (3)
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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.
61 Results
| State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Type of poverty penalty or poverty trap | Level of offense | Mandatory | |
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Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 12.55.025(f) | Sentencing Procedures |
A sentence that the defendant pay money, either as a fine or in restitution or both, constitutes a lien in the same manner as a judgment for money entered in a civil action. Nothing in this section limits the authority of the court to otherwise enforce payment of a fine or restitution.
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Property liens | All | Yes |
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Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 12.55.035(d) | Fines |
If a defendant is sentenced to pay a fine, the court may grant permission for the payment to be made within a specified period of time or in specified installments. |
Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 12.55.051(a) | Enforcement of Fines and Restitution |
If the defendant defaults in the payment of a fine or any installment or of restitution or any installment, the court may order the defendant to show cause why the defendant should not be sentenced to imprisonment for nonpayment and, if the payment was made a condition of the defendant's probation, may revoke the probation of the defendant subject to the limits set out in AS 12.55.110.
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Condition or extension of supervision | All | No |
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Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 12.55.051(a) | Enforcement of Fines and Restitution |
If the court does not find that the default was attributable to the defendant's inability to pay despite having made continuing good faith efforts to pay the fine or restitution, the court may order the defendant imprisoned subject to the limits set out in AS 12.55.110. A term of imprisonment imposed under this section may not exceed one day for each $50 of the unpaid portion of the fine or restitution or one year, whichever is shorter. Credit shall be given toward satisfaction of the order of the court for every day a person is incarcerated for nonpayment of a fine or restitution.
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Incarceration | All | No |
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Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 12.55.055(c) | Community work |
The court may offer a defendant convicted of an offense the option of performing community work in lieu of a fine, surcharge, or portion of a fine or surcharge if the court finds the defendant is unable to pay the fine. The value of community work in lieu of a fine is the state's minimum wage for each hour.
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Community service | All | No |
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Alaska | AK Const. Art. 1, § 17 | Imprisonment for Debt |
There shall be no imprisonment for debt. This section does not prohibit civil arrest of absconding debtors. |
Incarceration | All | Yes |
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Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 12.55.041(d) | Correctional Facility Surcharge |
The court shall include a surcharge imposed under (a) of this section in the judgment of conviction. The court shall include the imposition of a surcharge under (c) of this section in the order revoking probation. For a surcharge that is not paid by the person as required by this section, the state shall seek reimbursement from the person's permanent fund dividend as provided under AS 43.23.065. For purposes of collection and priority of attachment under AS 43.23.065, a surcharge imposed under this section is accounted for in the same manner as a cost of imprisonment under AS 28.35.030(k) and 28.35.032(o). The state may enforce payment of a surcharge under this section under AS 09.35 as if it were a civil judgment enforceable by execution. This subsection does not limit the authority of the court to enforce surcharges.
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Property liens | All | Yes |
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Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 12.55.045(c) | Restitution and Compensation |
If a defendant is sentenced to pay restitution, the court may grant permission for the payment to be made within a specified period of time or in specified installments. If the defendant fails to make one or more payments required under this section, the victim or the state on the victim's behalf may enforce the total amount remaining under the order of restitution as provided in (l) of this section.
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Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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Alaska | Alaska Stat. Ann. § 12.55.045(l) | Restitution and Compensation |
An order by the court that the defendant pay restitution is a civil judgment for the amount of the restitution. An order by the court that the defendant pay restitution when the court suspends imposition of sentence under AS 12.55.085 is a civil judgment for the amount of the restitution and remains enforceable and is not discharged when a conviction is set aside under AS 12.55.085. The victim or the state on behalf of the victim may enforce the judgment through any procedure authorized by law for the enforcement of a civil judgment. If the victim enforces or collects restitution through civil process, collection costs and full reasonable attorney fees shall be awarded. If the state on the victim's behalf enforces or collects restitution through civil process, collection costs and full reasonable attorney fees shall be awarded, up to a maximum of twice the amount of restitution owing at the time the civil process was initiated. This section does not limit the authority of the court to enforce orders of restitution.
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Civil judgment | All | Yes |
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Alaska | Alaska Stat. § 12.55.039(b) | Surcharge |
A court may not fail to impose the surcharge required under this section. The surcharge may not be waived, deferred, or suspended. A court may allow a defendant who is unable to pay the surcharge required to be imposed under this section to perform community work under AS 12.55.055(c) in lieu of the surcharge.
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Community service | All | No |
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Alaska | Alaska Stat. § 12.55.039(c) | Surcharge |
The surcharge shall be paid within 10 days of imposition or such shorter period of time as ordered by the court. Failure to pay the surcharge is punishable as contempt of court. Proceedings to collect the surcharge may be instituted by the state, the municipality, or by the court on its own motion.
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Civil judgment | All | Yes |
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Alaska | Alaska Stat. § 12.55.035(d) | Fines |
If a defendant is sentenced to pay a fine, the court may grant permission for the payment to be made within a specified period of time or in specified installments. |
Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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California | Cal. Pen. Code § 1465.7(f) | Proceedings in Misdemeanor and Infraction Cases: State surcharge; Transmittal to General Fund; Construction with Vehicle Code provisions |
When amounts owed by an offender as a result of a conviction are paid in installment payments, payments shall be credited pursuant to Section 1203.1d. The amount of the surcharge established by this section shall be transmitted to the State Treasury prior to the county retaining or disbursing the remaining amount of the fines, penalties, and forfeitures imposed.
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Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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California | Cal. Pen. Code § 1462.5 | Proceedings in Misdemeanor and Infraction Cases: Proration of fines, penalties, forfeitures, and fees |
Each installment or partial payment of a fine, penalty, forfeiture or fee shall be prorated among the state and local shares according to the uniform accounting system established by the State Controller pursuant to Section 71380 of the Government Code. In cases subject to Section 1463.18 of the Penal Code, proration shall not occur until the minimum amounts have been transferred to the Restitution Fund as provided in that section.
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Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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California | Cal. Pen. Code § 1463.010(f) | Proceedings in Misdemeanor and Infraction Cases: Enforcement of court orders; Guidelines for collection program; Annual report; Business license suspension program; Amnesty |
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Judicial Council, after consultation with the Franchise Tax Board with respect to collections under Section 19280 of the Revenue and Taxation Code, may provide for an amnesty program involving the collection of outstanding fees, fines, forfeitures, penalties, and assessments, applicable either statewide or within one or more counties. The amnesty program shall provide that some or all of the interest or collections costs imposed on outstanding fees, fines, forfeitures, penalties, and assessments may be waived if the remaining amounts due are paid within the amnesty period.
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Collection fee/interest | All | No |
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California | Cal. Rules of Court 4.435(b) | Sentencing on revocation of probation, mandatory supervision, and postrelease community supervision |
(b) On revocation and termination of probation under section 1203.2, when the sentencing judge determines that the defendant will be committed to prison or county jail under section 1170(h):(1) If the imposition of sentence was previously suspended, the judge must impose judgment and sentence after considering any findings previously made and hearing and determining the matters enumerated in rule 4.433(c).The length of the sentence must be based on circumstances existing at the time probation was granted, and subsequent events may not be considered in selecting the base term or in deciding whether to strike the additional punishment for enhancements charged and found.
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Incarceration | All | No |
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California | Cal. Pen. Code § 273a(c)(3)(B) | Endangering child or causing or permitting child to suffer physical pain, mental suffering, or injury; Conditions of probation |
(B) The terms of probation for offenders shall not be lifted until all reasonable fees due to the counseling program have been paid in full, but in no case shall probation be extended beyond the term provided in subdivision (a) of Section 1203.1. If the court finds that the defendant does not have the ability to pay the fees based on the defendant’s changed circumstances, the court may reduce or waive the fees.
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Condition or extension of supervision | Misdemeanor, Felony | No |
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California | Cal. Pen. Code § 1202.43(b) | Payment of restitution fine |
(b) A restitution fine shall be deemed a debt of the defendant owing to the state for the purposes of Sections 12418 and 12419.5 of the Government Code, excepting any amounts the defendant has paid to the victim as a result of the crime. Upon request by the Controller, the district attorney of a county or the Attorney General may take any necessary action to recover amounts owing on a restitution fine. The amount of the recovery shall be increased by a sum sufficient to cover any costs incurred by any state or local agency in the administration of this section. The remedies provided by this subdivision are in addition to any other remedies provided by law for the enforcement of a judgment.
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Collection fee/interest | Misdemeanor, Felony | No |
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California | Cal. Pen. Code § 1205(b) | Judgment imposing fine; Imprisonment pending payment; Default; Fee for processing accounts receivable; Limitation |
(b) Except as otherwise provided in case of fines imposed, as a condition of probation, the defendant shall pay the fine to the clerk of the court, or to the judge if there is no clerk, unless the defendant is taken into custody for nonpayment of the fine, in which event payments made while he or she is in custody shall be made to the officer who holds the defendant in custody, and all amounts paid shall be paid over by the officer to the court that rendered the judgment. The clerk shall report to the court every default in payment of a fine or any part of that fine, or if there is no clerk, the court shall take notice of the default. If time has been given for payment of a fine or it has been made payable in installments, the court shall, upon any default in payment, immediately order the arrest of the defendant and order him or her to show cause why he or she should not be imprisoned until the fine or installment is satisfied in full. If the fine or installment is payable forthwith and it is not paid, the court shall, without further proceedings, immediately commit the defendant to the custody of the proper officer to be held in custody until the fine or installment is satisfied in full.
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Incarceration | Misdemeanor, Felony | 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 |
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.