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

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.

6 Results

Export results to Excel

State Statute Description/Statute Name Statutory language Type of poverty penalty or poverty trap Level of offense Mandatory
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

California Cal. Rules of Court 4.335(4)(B) Ability to pay determination for infraction offenses the court may exercise its discretion to: . . . (B) Allow the defendant to complete community service in lieu of paying the total fine (if available) Community service Misdemeanor No
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

California Cal. Pen. Code § 594(c), (f) Vandalism; Punishment

(c) Upon conviction of any person under this section for acts of vandalism consisting of defacing property with graffiti or other inscribed materials, the court shall, when appropriate and feasible, in

+ See more
addition to any punishment imposed under subdivision (b), order the defendant to clean up, repair, or replace the damaged property himself or herself, or order the defendant, and his or her parents or guardians if the defendant is a minor, to keep the damaged property or another specified property in the community free of graffiti for up to one year. Participation of a parent or guardian is not required under this subdivision if the court deems this participation to be detrimental to the defendant, or if the parent or guardian is a single parent who must care for young children. If the court finds that graffiti cleanup is inappropriate, the court shall consider other types of community service, where feasible....

(f) The court may order any person ordered to perform community service or graffiti removal pursuant to paragraph (1) of subdivision (c) to undergo counseling.

Community service Misdemeanor Yes
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Montana Mont. Code Ann. § 46-18-201(3) Sentences that may be imposed
(a) Whenever a person has been found guilty of an offense upon a verdict of guilty or a plea of guilty or nolo contendere, a sentencing judge may impose a
+ See more
sentence that may include: (i) a fine as provided by law for the offense; (ii) payment of costs, as provided in 46-18-232, or payment of costs of assigned counsel as provided in 46-8-113... (b) A court may permit a part or all of a fine to be satisfied by a donation of food to a food bank program.
Community service All No
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Montana Mont. Code Ann. § 46-18-244(4) Type and time of payment--defenses--ensuring payment
With the consent of the victim and in the discretion of the court, an offender may be ordered to make restitution in services to the victim in lieu of money
+ See more
or to make restitution to a person designated by the victim, if that person provided services to the victim as a result of the offense.
Community service All No
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

Montana Mont. Code Ann. § 46-18-241(3) Condition of Restitution
If at any time the court finds that, because of circumstances beyond the offender's control, the offender is not able to pay any restitution, the court may order the offender
+ See more
to perform community service during the time that the offender is unable to pay. The offender must be given a credit against restitution due at the rate of the hours of community service times the state minimum wage in effect at the time that the community service is performed.
Community service All No
BS-+-Light-Rounded-Square
Add to Dashboard

+ Create New

New Hampshire NH R CRIM Rule 29(e)(3)(i) Community Service

(3)  In any case where the court finds that the defendant is unable to pay the assessment either on the date the sentence is imposed or later, the court may, if

+ See more
otherwise permitted by law: (i) defer or suspend payment of all or part of the assessment or order periodic payment; or (ii) allow the defendant to perform community service, pursuant to a plan submitted to and approved by the court. 

Community service, Payment plan/installment plan All No