Poverty Penalties and Poverty Traps

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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.

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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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Arizona Ariz. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 13-810(D)(1) Consequences of nonpayment of fines, surcharges, fees, assessments, restitution or incarceration costs

D. If the court finds that the defendant has willfully failed to pay fine, a surcharge, a fee, an assessment, restitution or incarceration costs or finds that the defendant has intentionally refused

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to make a good faith effort to obtain the  monies required for the payment, the court shall find that the default constitutes contempt and may do any of the  following: 1. Order the defendant incarcerated in the county jail until the fine, surcharge, fee, assessment, restitution or incarceration costs, or a specified part of the fine, surcharge,  fee, assessment, restitution or incarceration costs, is paid.

Incarceration All No
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Connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. § 18-63 Commitment for failure to pay a fine Upon any conviction for a crime, if the convict fails to pay any fine lawfully imposed, he shall be committed to a community correctional center until such fine is paid. Incarceration All Yes
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Connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. § 52-399 Commitment of debtor for contempt.
Any judge before whom any such examination is ordered may commit the judgment debtor for contempt in case of his neglect or refusal to attend or be sworn at the
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examination or to answer any question put to him during the examination, and any such neglect or refusal, if the examination is ordered or had before a committee, may be by such committee reported to the judge by whom he was appointed, which judge may thereupon proceed for the contempt as fully as if the examination had been ordered or had before himself.
Incarceration All No
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Connecticut Conn. Gen. Stat. § 18-50(a)(1) Credit against unpaid fine for time spent in confinement, employed or performing community service

(a)(1) Except as provided in subdivision (2) of this subsection, each person committed to any community correctional center upon conviction of any criminal offense, and held therein only for the

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payment of a fine, shall be discharged from confinement when the time served by such person at a per diem rate equal to the average daily cost of incarceration as determined by the Commissioner of Correction amounts to such fine or the balance thereof remaining unpaid. Such person shall earn an additional credit of fifty dollars toward such fine or balance thereof remaining unpaid for each day such person is employed at productive or maintenance work and has established a satisfactory work record. In computing the number of days to be served, credit shall be given for Sundays, holidays and the day of admission. Each person so committed shall be released during the day following that which completes the time to be served when computed in accordance with this subdivision, or immediately upon payment of the fine in full.

Incarceration All Yes
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Indiana Ind. Code § 35-38-1-18 (d)(2)-(3) Payment of Fines

(d) Upon any default in the payment of the fine:... (2) the court may direct that the person, if the person is not indigent, be committed to the county jail

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and credited toward payment at the rate of twenty dollars ($20) for each twenty-four (24) hour period the person is confined, until the amount paid plus the amount credited equals the entire amount due; or (3) the court may institute contempt proceedings or order the convicted person’s wages, salary, and other income garnished in accordance with IC 24-4.5-5-105 to enforce the court’s order for payment of the fine.

Incarceration, Wage/bank account garnishment All No
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Indiana Burns Ind. Code Ann. § 33-37-2-3 (a)(4); (d) Indigency Hearing — Suspension of Costs — Default — Fees for Representation — Rights and Protections

(a) Except as provided in subsection (b), when the court imposes costs, it shall conduct a hearing to determine whether the convicted person is indigent. If the person is not indigent,

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the court shall order the person to pay: ... (4) the entire amount of the costs at some later date, less any amount credited under subsections (g) through (i) for the performance of: (A) allowable community service work ordered by the court as part of the person’s sentence or as part of the person’s probation; or (B) uncompensated volunteer work approved by the court at a nonprofit or municipal corporation that benefits the community, even if the volunteer work is not ordered by the court. ... (d) Upon any default in the payment of the costs: (1) an attorney representing the county may bring an action on a debt for the unpaid amount; (2) the court may direct that the person, if the person is not indigent, be committed to the county jail and credited toward payment at the rate of twenty dollars ($20) for each twenty-four (24) hour period the person is confined, until the amount paid plus the amount credited equals the entire amount due; or (3) the court may institute contempt proceedings to enforce the court's order for payment of the costs.

Civil judgment, Community service, Incarceration All No