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.
Every law can be saved to the Reform Builder
See all poverty penalty and poverty trap policy recommendations in CJPP’s Policy Guide
State
- Alabama (1)
- Alaska (3)
- Arizona (8)
- (-) Arkansas (8)
- California (1)
- Colorado (3)
- Connecticut (7)
- Delaware (3)
- Florida (30)
- Georgia (2)
- (-) Hawaii (2)
- Idaho (2)
- Illinois (4)
- Indiana (3)
- Iowa (3)
- Kansas (4)
- Kentucky (1)
- Louisiana (3)
- Maine (5)
- Maryland (2)
- Massachusetts (4)
- Michigan (4)
- Minnesota (4)
- Mississippi (1)
- Missouri (8)
- Montana (3)
- Nebraska (3)
- Nevada (1)
- New Hampshire (2)
- New Jersey (2)
- New Mexico (7)
- New York (4)
- North Carolina (5)
- North Dakota (6)
- Ohio (8)
- Oklahoma (1)
- Oregon (5)
- Pennsylvania (1)
- Rhode Island (1)
- South Carolina (14)
- (-) South Dakota (4)
- Tennessee (2)
- Texas (16)
- Utah (8)
- Vermont (5)
- Virginia (5)
- Washington (6)
- Washington DC (2)
- West Virginia (4)
- Wisconsin (0)
- (-) Wyoming (7)
Keyword search
Reset
Reset all filtersType of poverty penalty or poverty trap
- Civil judgment (4)
- Collection fee/interest (2)
- Community service (1)
- (-) Condition or extension of supervision (12)
- Driver's license suspension/impoundment (9)
- Extension of probation/supervision (1)
- Incarceration (18)
- Increased fine (1)
- Other (1)
- Payment plan/installment plan (11)
- (-) Property liens (9)
- Wage/bank account garnishment (6)
- Work program/jail industry program (5)
Narrrow results
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.
21 Results
| State | Statute | Description/Statute Name | Statutory language | Type of poverty penalty or poverty trap | Level of offense | Mandatory | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Arkansas | Ark. Code Ann. § 16-98-304(b) | Cost and Fees |
(b)(1) The drug court judge shall establish a schedule for the payment of costs and fees. . . (7) Court orders for costs and fees shall remain an obligation of the offender with court monitoring until fully paid
|
Condition or extension of supervision | All | Yes |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Arkansas | Ark. Code Ann. § 5-4-204(a) | Collection After Default |
When a defendant sentenced to pay a fine or costs defaults in the payment of the fine or costs or of any installment, the fine or costs may be collected by any means authorized for the enforcement of a money judgment in a civil action.
|
Property liens | All | No |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Arkansas | Ark. Code Ann. § 5-4-204(b) | Collection After Default |
A judgment that the defendant pay a fine or costs constitutes a lien on the real property and personal property of the defendant in the same manner and to the same extent as a money judgment in a civil action.
|
Property liens | All | Yes |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Arkansas | Ark. Code Ann. § 5-4-303(c) | Conditions of Suspension or Probation |
(c) If the court suspends imposition of sentence on a defendant or places him or her on probation, as a condition of its order the court may require that the defendant: (1) Support his or her dependents and meet his or her family responsibilities . . . (6) Make restitution to an aggrieved party in an amount the defendant can afford to pay for the actual loss or damage caused by his or her offense
|
Condition or extension of supervision | All | No |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Arkansas | Ark. Code Ann. § 16-92-104 | Costs and Fees -- Capital Cases |
The costs in all cases of conviction where the convict may be sentenced to suffer death, and all expenses attending the execution of the sentence, shall be adjudged and taxed by the court and paid out of the estate of the convict, and execution may be issued against the estate of the convict therefor.
|
Property liens | Felony | Yes |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Arkansas | Ark. Code Ann. § 16-92-102 | Costs and Fees -- Execution |
(a) The clerk of the court, at the end of each term, shall issue executions for all fines imposed on indictments, in penal actions, or otherwise, and for the costs of conviction in criminal cases during the term, and remaining unpaid, which shall be executed in the same manner as executions in civil cases. The property of the defendant may be seized and sold, notwithstanding that he or she may be in custody for the same demand.
(b) In every case where a witness is summoned by a special subpoena to testify in a particular case in which an indictment may be found, it shall be the duty of the clerk to tax the attendance of the witness with the cost of the suit, to be collected from the defendant, in the event that judgment shall be rendered against him or her therefor, and to be paid into the county treasury. |
Property liens | All | No |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Arkansas | Ark. Code Ann. § 16-92-101(a) | Costs and Fees -- Defendant's Property Bound From Time of Arrest |
The property, both real and personal, of any person charged with a criminal offense shall be bound from the time of his or her arrest or the finding of an indictment against him or her, whichever shall first happen, for the payment of all fines and costs which he or she may be adjudged to pay. However, no such lien shall be enforced unless the county judge of the county in which the judgment is rendered on the criminal charge shall file, or cause to be filed, with the circuit clerk of the county in which the person may own property, and within six (6) months after the rendition of judgment against the person, a notice of lis pendens as provided for in §§ 16-59-101 -- 16-59-105, 16-59-107, and 16-66-402 and shall cause suit to be instituted to enforce the lien within two (2) years after the date of the filing of the notice.
|
Property liens | All | Yes |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Arkansas | A.C.A. § 16-13-707 | Lien on Property |
(a) When a defendant sentenced to pay a fine defaults in the payment thereof or of any installment, the fine may be collected by any means authorized for the enforcement of money judgments in civil actions; (b) A judgment that the defendant pay a fine shall constitute a lien on the real and personal property of the defendant in the same manner and to the same extent as a money judgment in a civil action.
|
Property liens | All | No |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Hawaii | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-642(2) | Time and method of payment |
(2) When a defendant sentenced to pay a fine is also sentenced to probation, the court may make the payment of the fine a condition of probation. |
Condition or extension of supervision | All | No |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Hawaii | Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-630 | Probation: Discharge of defendant |
Upon the termination of the period of the probation or the earlier discharge of the defendant, the defendant shall be relieved of any obligations imposed by the order of the court and shall have satisfied the disposition of the court, except as to any action under this chapter to collect unpaid fines, restitution, attorney’s fees, costs, or interest.
|
Condition or extension of supervision | Misdemeanor, Felony | No |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
South Dakota | S.D. Codified Laws § 23A-40-11 | Lien for cost of provision of counsel — Limitation |
A lien, enforceable as provided by this chapter, upon all the property, both real and personal, of any person, including the parents of a minor child, for whom legal counsel or a public defender has been appointed under the provisions of § 23A-40-6, subdivisions 23A-40-7(2) and (3), or § 26-7A-31 may be filed. The services rendered and expenses incurred are a claim against the person and that person's estate, enforceable according to law in an amount to be determined by a judge of the circuit court or a magistrate judge and paid by the county or municipality chargeable for them. A lien on the parents of a minor child pursuant to this section may not exceed one thousand five hundred dollars plus an amount equal to any taxable court costs.
|
Property liens | All | No |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
South Dakota | S.D. Codified Laws § 223A-27-18.3 | Conditions required on probation or suspension of sentence |
The conditions of probation imposed pursuant to § 23A-27-12 or 23A-27-13 or the conditions of a suspension of execution imposed pursuant to § 23A-27-18 may provide in addition to any other conditions, as an explicit condition of probation, suspended imposition of sentence, or suspended execution of sentence that the defendant:
(1) Pay a fine or perform community service work as directed by the court; or (2) Receive treatment for chemical dependency at any South Dakota treatment facility accredited pursuant to § 34-20A-27 and reimburse the county for costs of treatment ordered by the court; or (3) Make restitution pursuant to the provisions of chapter 23A-28. |
Condition or extension of supervision | All | No |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
South Dakota | S.D. Codified Laws § 223A-28-8 | Failure to comply as violation of conditions of probation--Modification of plan by court--Contempt |
Failure of the defendant to comply with § 23A-28-3 or to comply with the plan of restitution as approved or modified by the court constitutes a violation of the conditions of probation. Without limitation, the court may modify the plan of restitution or extend the period of time for restitution, regardless of whether the defendant is no longer on probation. If the defendant fails to make payment as ordered by the court, the defendant may be held in contempt of the court's order.
|
Condition or extension of supervision, Extension of probation/supervision, Incarceration, Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
South Dakota | S.D. Codified Laws § 223A-28-7 | Compliance with restitution plan as condition of probation or suspension--Payments to clerk |
Compliance with the plan of restitution as approved or modified by the court shall be a condition of the defendant's probation or suspension. Restitution payments shall be made to the office of the clerk unless otherwise ordered by the court.
|
Condition or extension of supervision | All | No |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-16-101 | Persons subject to required work |
(a) The sentencing court may require the following persons to perform work pursuant to W.S. 7-16-101 through 7-16-104: (i) Persons sentenced to a definite term of imprisonment in the county jail, whether or not a fine is imposed as a part of the sentence; (ii) Persons committed to jail pursuant to W.S. 6-10-105 for refusal to pay a fine or costs; and (iii) Persons for whom work is imposed as a condition of probation pursuant to W.S. 7-13-304(b). (b) No person charged with a crime and awaiting the action of the grand jury or awaiting trial shall be required to perform work pursuant to W.S. 7-16-101 through 7-16-104.
|
Condition or extension of supervision, Work program/jail industry program | All | No |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-6-207 | Assessment of tax when permanent injunction issues; collection; continuing liability for other penalties |
Whenever a permanent injunction issues against any person for maintaining a nuisance or against the owner or agent of any building kept or used for the purposes prohibited by this article, there shall be assessed against the building and the ground upon which it is located and against the person or persons maintaining the nuisance, and the owner or agent of the premises, a tax of three hundred dollars ($300.00). The assessment of the tax shall be made by the assessor of the county in which the nuisance exists and shall be made within three (3) months from the date of granting of the permanent injunction. If the assessor fails or neglects to make the assessment, it shall be made by the sheriff of the county and a return of the assessment shall be made to the county treasurer. The tax may be enforced and collected in the manner prescribed for the collection of taxes under the general revenue laws and shall be a perpetual lien upon all property, both personal and real used for the purpose of maintaining the nuisance. The payment of the tax does not relieve the person or building from any other penalties provided by law and when collected shall be applied and distributed in the manner prescribed by law for the application and distribution of monies arising from the collection of fines and penalties in criminal cases.
|
Collection fee/interest, Property liens | All | Yes |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-13-421 | Restitution as condition of parole |
(b) The board shall provide for restitution in the amount determined by the court pursuant to W.S. 7-9-103 unless the board finds the parolee is not reasonably capable of making the payments, in which case the board may modify the amount of restitution to be paid, taking into account the factors enumerated in W.S. 7-9-106.
(c) If the parolee fails to pay the restitution as provided by this section the board may: (i) Modify the amount of the restitution; (ii) Repealed By Laws 2011, Ch. 30, § 2. (iii) Revoke the parole. |
Condition or extension of supervision, Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-13-109(b),(c) | Payment of jail costs by inmate |
(b) An order to pay room and board costs under this section shall be included as a special order in the judgment of conviction. To satisfy the order, the clerk of the sentencing court, upon request of the sheriff or prosecuting attorney, may issue execution against any assets of the defendant including wages subject to attachment, in the same manner as in a civil action.
(c) Willful failure or refusal to pay costs ordered under this section is punishable as contempt of court. |
Incarceration, Property liens, Wage/bank account garnishment | All | No |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-9-104 | Preparation of plan; contents |
(a) In any case in which the court has ordered restitution under W.S. 7-9-102, 7-9-113 or 7-13-301, if the sentencing court orders suspended imposition of sentence, suspended sentence or probation, the court shall require that the defendant in cooperation with the probation and parole officer assigned to the defendant, or in the case of unsupervised probation any probation and parole officer or any other person the court directs, promptly prepare a plan of restitution including the name and address of each victim, the amount of restitution determined to be owed to each victim pursuant to W.S. 7-9-103 or 7-9-114 and a schedule of restitution payments. If the defendant is presently unable to make any restitution but there is a reasonable possibility that the defendant may be able to do so at some time during his probation period, the plan of restitution shall also state the conditions under which or the event after which the defendant shall make restitution. In structuring a plan for reimbursement under this section, victim restitution shall be paid in the following order:
(i) Pecuniary damages suffered by the victim which have not been paid by insurance or from the crime victim's compensation account; (ii) Payment of other amounts owed by the defendant arising from the case. |
Condition or extension of supervision, Payment plan/installment plan | All | No |
|
Add to Dashboard
|
Wyoming | Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-9-108(a) | Compliance with plan as condition of probation or suspension; payments to clerk |
(a) Compliance with the plan of restitution as approved or modified by the court shall be a condition of the defendant's probation or suspension. |
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.