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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- (-) Minnesota (6)
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- Civil judgment (4)
- Collection fee/interest (6)
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- Condition or extension of supervision (17)
- Driver's license suspension/impoundment (5)
- Extension of probation/supervision (1)
- Incarceration (21)
- Increased fine (2)
- Other (2)
- Payment plan/installment plan (14)
- Property liens (6)
- Wage/bank account garnishment (6)
- 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.
75 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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Idaho | Idaho Code § 31-3220A | Prisoner Payment of Fees at Time of Filing of Action -- Partial Payment of Fees -- Dismissal of Action |
(4) If the court permits the prisoner's action to proceed on partial payment of court fees, the court shall assess and, when funds exist, collect a partial payment of any court fees as set forth in sections 31-3201 and 31-3201A, Idaho Code, an initial partial filing fee of twenty percent (20%) of the greater of: (a) The average monthly deposits to the prisoner's inmate account; or (b) The average monthly balance for the six (6) month period immediately preceding the filing of the action; (5) After payment of the initial partial filing fee, the prisoner shall be required to make monthly payments of twenty percent (20%) of the preceding month's income credited to the prisoner's inmate account until the full amount of all applicable court fees set forth in sections 31-3201 and 31-3201A, Idaho Code, are paid. The agency or entity having custody of the prisoner shall forward payments from the prisoner's inmate account to the clerk of the court each time the amount in the prisoner's inmate account exceeds ten dollars ($ 10.00) until the full amount of all applicable court fees set forth in sections 31-3201 and 31-3201A, Idaho Code, are paid.
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Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
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Idaho | Idaho Code § 31-3201E | Drug Court and Mental Health Court Fee -- Drug Court and Mental Health Court Fund |
Each person admitted into a drug court or mental health court shall pay a drug court and mental health court fee in an amount not to exceed three hundred dollars ($ 300) per month or a lesser amount as set by the administrative district judge for participants in the drug court and mental health court. ... Any failure to pay the drug court and mental health court fee may constitute grounds for termination from drug court or mental health court by the court, provided this shall not be the exclusive remedy for collection of the fee. If a participant is terminated from the drug court or mental health court prior to successful completion of the program and a judgment of conviction is entered against the defendant, any unpaid drug court and mental health court fee shall be ordered by the court in the judgment of conviction, provided the court may order such fee to be waived if the court determines that the person is indigent and unable to pay the fee. Such fee shall be in addition to all other fines and fees levied, and the payment of such fee may also be ordered as a term and condition of probation.
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Other | All | No |
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Idaho | Idaho Code § 31-3201D(1) | County Misdemeanor Probation Supervision Fee |
Any person under a supervised probation program for a misdemeanor offense shall be required to pay an amount not more than the maximum monthly felony probation or parole supervision fee set forth in section 20-225, Idaho Code, per month, or such lesser sum as determined by the administrative judge of the judicial district, as a misdemeanor probation supervision fee. Any failure to pay such fee shall constitute grounds for the revocation of probation by the court, but this shall not be the exclusive remedy for its collection. The court for good cause may exempt a person from the payment of all or any part of the foregoing fee.
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Other | All | No |
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Idaho | Idaho code § 18-303 | Common Law Offenses -- Punishment -- Imprisonment for Nonpayment of Fine |
All offenses recognized by the common law as crimes and not herein enumerated are punishable, in case of felony, by imprisonment in the state prison for a term not less than one (1) year nor more than five (5) years; and in case of misdemeanors, by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not exceeding six (6) months or less than one (1) month, or by fine not exceeding $500, or both such fine and imprisonment. And whenever any fine is imposed for any felony or misdemeanor, whether such be by statute or at common law and the party upon whom the fine is imposed has the ability to pay said fine, the party upon whom the fine is imposed shall be committed to the county jail, when not sentenced to the state prison, until the fine is paid.
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Incarceration | All | Yes |
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Idaho | Idaho code § 19-5304(4) | Restitution for Crime Victims — Orders to be Separate — When Restitution is not Appropriate — Other Remedies — Evidentiary Hearings — Definitions |
If a separate written order of restitution is issued, an order of restitution shall be for an amount certain and shall be due and owing at the time of sentencing or at the date the amount of restitution is determined, whichever is later. An order of restitution may provide for interest from the date of the economic loss or injury.
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Collection fee/interest | All | No |
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Idaho | Idaho code § 19-5305 | Collection of Judgments |
(1) After forty-two (42) days from the entry of the order of restitution or at the conclusion of a hearing to reconsider an order of restitution, whichever occurs later, an order of restitution may be recorded as a judgment and the victim may execute as provided by law for civil judgments. (2) The clerk of the district court may take action to collect on the order of restitution on behalf of the victim and, with the approval of the administrative district judge, may use the procedures set forth in section 19-4708, Idaho Code, for the collection of the restitution.
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Civil judgment, Collection fee/interest | All | Yes |
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Idaho | Idaho Code § 31-3201(4) | Clerk of District Court -- Fees |
Provided further, an additional handling fee of two dollars ($ 2.00) shall be imposed on each monthly installment of criminal or infraction fines, forfeitures, and other costs paid on a monthly basis.
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Collection fee/interest | All | Yes |
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Idaho | Idaho Code § 20-225 | Payment for Cost of Supervision |
Any person under state probation or parole supervision shall be required to contribute not more than seventy-five dollars ($ 75.00) per month as determined by the board of correction. Costs of supervision are the direct and indirect costs incurred by the department of correction to supervise probationers and parolees, including tests to determine drug and alcohol use, books and written materials to support rehabilitation efforts, and monitoring of physical location through the use of technology. Any failure to pay such contribution shall constitute grounds for the revocation of probation by the court or the revocation of parole by the commission for pardons and parole. The division of probation and parole in the department of correction may exempt a person from the payment of all or any part of the foregoing contribution if it finds any of the following factors to exist: (1) The offender has diligently attempted but been unable to obtain employment. (2) The offender has a disability affecting employment, as determined by a physical, psychological or psychiatric examination acceptable to the division of probation and parole.
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Condition or extension of supervision | 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.