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Poverty Penalties and Poverty Traps

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	State	Statute	Description/Statute Name	Statutory language	Type of poverty penalty or poverty trap	Level of offense	Mandatory
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 + See more 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
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 + See more 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
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Texas	Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Art. 42A.751(b),(e)	Violation of Conditions of Community Supervision; Detention and Hearing	(b) At any time during the period of community supervision, the judge may issue a warrant for a violation of any condition of community supervision and cause the defendant to be + See more arrested. Any supervision officer, police officer, or other officer with the power of arrest may arrest the defendant with or without a warrant on the order of the judge to be noted on the docket of the court. Subject to Subsection (c), a defendant arrested under this subsection may be detained in the county jail or other appropriate place of confinement until the defendant can be taken before the judge for a determination regarding the alleged violation. (e) A judge may revoke without a hearing the community supervision of a defendant who is imprisoned in a penal institution if the defendant in writing before a court of record or a notary public in the jurisdiction where the defendant is imprisoned	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Texas	Tex. Gov't Code Sec. 21.002(a)-(c)	Contempt of Court	(a) Except as provided by Subsection (g), a court may punish for contempt. (b) The punishment for contempt of a court other than a justice court or municipal court is a fine of + See more not more than $500 or confinement in the county jail for not more than six months, or both such a fine and confinement in jail. (c) The punishment for contempt of a justice court or municipal court is a fine of not more than $100 or confinement in the county or city jail for not more than three days, or both such a fine and confinement in jail.	Incarceration, Increased fine	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Texas	Tex. Code Crim. Proc. Art. 43.03(a)	Payment of Fine	If a defendant is sentenced to pay a fine or costs or both and the defendant defaults in payment, the court after a hearing under Subsection (d) of this article + See more may order the defendant confined in jail until discharged as provided by law, may order the defendant to discharge the fines and costs in any other manner provided by Article 43.09 of this code, or may waive payment of the fines and costs as provided by Article 43.091. A certified copy of the judgment, sentence, and order is sufficient to authorize confinement under this subsection	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	West Virginia	W. Va. Code § 61-3-33	Entry upon inclosed lands; penalty; liability for damages	If any person shall, without the consent of the owner or occupier thereof, enter upon the enclosed lands of another and do any damage, or shall, without such consent, pull + See more down in whole or in part, or injure, any fence of another, or without permission open and leave open the gate or drawbar of another, or enter upon the enclosed lands of another after being forbidden so to do, or enter thereon and curse, or insult, or annoy, the owner thereof or any person rightfully there, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and, upon conviction, be fined not less than five nor more than one hundred dollars; and, in default of the payment of the fine, the offender may, in the discretion of the judge or justice, be committed to jail for not less than five days. He shall, moreover, be liable to the party injured for the damages sustained by such injury; and it shall be no defense to any prosecution or suit under this section, that such fence was not a lawful fence.	Incarceration	Misdemeanor	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	West Virginia	W. Va. Code § 62-4-9	Capias pro fine; release of defendant on bond	When a judgment for fine and costs is rendered by a circuit court, or other court of record having jurisdiction in criminal cases, the court may order a capias pro + See more fine to be issued thereon at any time during the term at which the judgment is rendered, and if not such order be made, such capias shall be issued by the clerk of the court in vacation if he be ordered to do so by the prosecuting attorney. If the judgment of the court in such case be that the defendant be imprisoned and fined, or that he be fined and imprisoned until the fine and costs be paid, or if the defendant be imprisoned by virtue of such capias pro fine, in either event, the defendant may be released from such imprisonment, where he is detained for a failure to pay such fine and costs, only upon his giving bond with good security before the court, or before the clerk thereof in vacation, or before the sheriff of the county in which such judgment is rendered, payable to the state of West Virginia, for the payment of such fine and costs, at a time not exceeding twelve months after the date of such bond. If default be made in the payment of such bond, the same may be proceeded against to judgment and execution as if it were a forthcoming bond.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	West Virginia	W. Va. Code § 62-12-10(a)	Violation of probation	(a) If at any time during the period of probation there shall be reasonable cause to believe that the probationer has violated any of the conditions of his or her + See more probation, the probation officer may arrest him or her with or without an order or warrant, or the court which placed him or her on probation, or the judge thereof in vacation, may issue an order for his or her arrest, whereupon he or she shall be brought before the court, or the judge thereof in vacation, for a prompt and summary hearing.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Wyoming	Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-10-105	Commitment for refusal to pay fine or costs; rate per day	A person committed to jail for willfully refusing to pay a fine or costs may be imprisoned if the court determines that the defendant has an ability to pay or + See more that a reasonable probability exists that the defendant will have an ability to pay, until the imprisonment, at the rate of fifteen dollars ($15.00) per day, equals the amount of the fine or costs, or the amount shall be paid or secured to be paid when he is discharged.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Wyoming	Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-11-504	Commitment until fine and costs paid	If a defendant sentenced to pay a fine or costs defaults in payment, the court may order the defendant to show cause why he should not be committed to jail. + See more If the court finds that the defendant's default is willful or is due to a failure on defendant's part to make a good faith effort to obtain the funds required for the payment and the court determines that the defendant has an ability to pay or that a reasonable probability exists that the defendant will have an ability to pay, the court may order him committed until the fine or costs, or a specified part thereof, is paid. The defendant shall be given a credit for each day of imprisonment at the rate provided by W.S. 6 10 105, and may earn additional credits against his fine or costs for work performed as provided by W.S. 7 16 101 through 7 16 104.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Wyoming	Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 6-10-105	Commitment for refusal to pay fine or costs; rate per day	A person committed to jail for willfully refusing to pay a fine or costs may be imprisoned if the court determines that the defendant has an ability to pay or + See more that a reasonable probability exists that the defendant will have an ability to pay, until the imprisonment, at the rate of fifteen dollars ($15.00) per day, equals the amount of the fine or costs, or the amount shall be paid or secured to be paid when he is discharged.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Wyoming	Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-9-109	Failure to comply; modification or extension of plan	Failure of the defendant to comply with W.S. 7 9 104 or to comply with the plan of restitution as approved or modified by the court is a violation of + See more the conditions of probation. If the probation period has expired, the restitution order may be enforced by either civil or criminal contempt proceedings. Criminal contempt under this section is punishable by imprisonment for not more than one (1) year. The court may modify the plan of restitution or extend the period of time for restitution, but, except for those cases falling within the provisions of W.S. 7 9 113 through 7 9 115, the court may not extend the period of time for restitution beyond ten (10) years following the date of the defendant's discharge from sentence or expiration of probation under W.S. 7 13 301.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 + See more 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 + Create New	Wyoming	Wyo. Stat. Ann. § 7-13-301(a)(v),(c)	Placing person found guilty, but not convicted, on probation	(a) If a person who has not previously been convicted of any felony is charged with or is found guilty of or pleads guilty or no contest to any misdemeanor + See more except any second or subsequent violation of W.S. 31-5-233 or any similar provision of law, or any second or subsequent violation of W.S. 6-2-510(a) or 6-2-511(a) or any similar provision of law, or any felony except murder, sexual assault in the first or second degree, aggravated assault and battery or arson in the first or second degree, the court may, with the consent of the defendant and the state and without entering a judgment of guilt or conviction, defer further proceedings and place the person on probation for a term not to exceed thirty-six (36) months upon terms and conditions set by the court. The terms of probation shall include that he: (v) Pay restitution to each victim in accordance with W.S. 7-9-101 and 7-9-103 through 7-9-115. (c) If the defendant violates a term or condition of probation at any time before final discharge, the court may: (i) Enter an adjudication of guilt and conviction and proceed to impose sentence upon the defendant if he previously pled guilty to or was found guilty of the original charge for which probation was granted under this section; or (ii) Order that the trial of the original charge proceed if the defendant has not previously pled or been found guilty.	Condition or extension of supervision, Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Wyoming	Wyo. R. Crim. P. 46.4(c)	Sanctions for Failure to Appear or for Violation of Release Order	(c) Violation of release condition. A person who has been released under Rule 46.1, 46.2, or Rule 46.3 and who has violated a condition of that release, is subject to + See more a revocation of release and a prosecution for contempt of court.	Incarceration	All	No

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