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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	Hawaii	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 601-17.5	Collection of delinquent court-ordered payments	The judiciary may contract with a collection agency bonded under chapter 443B or with a licensed attorney to collect any delinquent court-ordered penalties, fines, restitution, sanctions, and court costs, including + See more juvenile monetary assessments. Any fees or costs associated with the collection efforts shall be added to the amount due and retained by the collection agency as its payment; provided that no fees or costs shall exceed fifty per cent of the amount collected.	Collection fee/interest	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Hawaii	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 291C-171.5	Collection of fines and costs	(a) Unless discharged by payment or service of imprisonment in default of a fine, a fine may be collected in the same manner as a judgment in a civil action.(b) + See more Costs may be collected in the same manner as a judgment in a civil action, but shall not be deemed part of the penalty, and no person shall be imprisoned under this section in default of payment of costs. (c) The state attorney general may institute proceedings to collect the fine, and costs, including interest and attorney's fees, as a civil judgment in the court of appropriate jurisdiction.	Civil judgment	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Hawaii	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-643(1)	Disposition of funds	(1) The defendant shall pay a fine or any installment thereof to the cashier or clerk of the district or circuit court. In the event of default in payment, the + See more clerk shall notify the prosecuting attorney and, if the defendant is on probation, the probation officer.	Other	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Hawaii	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-644(1)	Consequences of nonpayment; imprisonment for contumacious nonpayment; summary collection	(1) When a defendant is sentenced pursuant to section 706-605, granted a conditional discharge pursuant to section 712-1255, or granted a deferred plea pursuant to chapter 853, and the defendant + See more is ordered to pay a fee, fine, or restitution, whether as an independent order, as part of a judgment and sentence, or as a condition of probation or deferred plea, and the defendant defaults in the payment thereof or of any installment, the court, upon the motion of the prosecuting attorney or upon its own motion, may require the defendant to show cause why the defendant's default should not be treated as contumacious and may issue a summons or a warrant of arrest for the defendant's appearance. Unless the defendant shows that the defendant's default was not attributable to an intentional refusal to obey the order of the court, or to a failure on the defendant's part to make a good faith effort to obtain the funds required for the payment, the court shall find that the defendant's default was contumacious and may order the defendant committed until the fee, fine, restitution, or a specified part thereof is paid.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Hawaii	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-644(4)	Consequences of nonpayment; imprisonment for contumacious nonpayment; summary collection	(4) If it appears that the defendant's default in the payment of a fee, fine, or restitution is not contumacious, the court may make an order allowing the defendant additional + See more time for payment, reducing the amount of each installment, or revoking the fee, fine, or the unpaid portion thereof in whole or in part, or converting the unpaid portion of the fee or fine to community service. A defendant shall not be discharged from an order to pay restitution until the full amount of the restitution has actually been collected or accounted for.	Community service	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Hawaii	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-644(5)	Consequences of nonpayment; imprisonment for contumacious nonpayment; summary collection	(5) Unless discharged by payment or, in the case of a fee or fine, service of imprisonment pursuant to subsection (3), an order to pay a fee, fine, or restitution, + See more whether as an independent order, as a part of a judgment and sentence, or as a condition of probation or deferred plea pursuant to chapter 853, may be collected in the same manner as a judgment in a civil action. The State or the victim named in the order may collect the restitution, including costs, interest, and attorney's fees, pursuant to section 706-646. The State may collect the fee or fine, including costs, interest, and attorney's fees pursuant to section 706-647.	Civil judgment	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 + Create New	Hawaii	Haw. Rev. Stat. § 706-644(3)	Consequences of nonpayment; imprisonment for contumacious nonpayment; summary collection	(3) The term of imprisonment for nonpayment of fee, fine, or restitution shall be specified in the order of commitment, and shall not exceed one day for each $25 of + See more the fee or fine, thirty days if the fee or fine was imposed upon conviction of a violation or a petty misdemeanor, or one year in any other case, whichever is the shorter period. A person committed for nonpayment of a fee or fine shall be given credit toward payment of the fee or fine for each day of imprisonment, at the rate of $25 per day.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	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 + See more 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 + Create New	Washington	Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 9.94B.040(1),(4)	Conversion of fine to community service (for crimes committed before July 1, 2000)	(1) If an offender violates any condition or requirement of a sentence, the court may modify its order of judgment and sentence and impose further punishment in accordance with this section. (4) If + See more the violation involves failure to pay legal financial obligations, the following provisions apply: (a) The department and the offender may enter into a stipulated agreement that the failure to pay was willful noncompliance, according to the provisions and requirements of subsection (3)(a) of this section; (b) In the absence of a stipulated agreement, or where the court is not satisfied with the department’s sanctions as provided in a stipulated agreement under (a) of this subsection, the court, upon the motion of the state, or upon its own motion, shall require the offender to show cause why the offender should not be punished for the noncompliance. The court may issue a summons or a warrant of arrest for the offender’s appearance; (c) The state has the burden of showing noncompliance by a preponderance of the evidence. The court may not sanction the offender for failure to pay legal financial obligations unless the court finds, after a hearing and on the record, that the failure to pay is willful. A failure to pay is willful if the offender has the current ability to pay but refuses to do so. In determining whether the offender has the current ability to pay, the court shall inquire into and consider: (i) The offender’s income and assets; (ii) the offender’s basic living costs as defined by RCW 10.101.010 and other liabilities including child support and other legal financial obligations; and (iii) the offender’s bona fide efforts to acquire additional resources. An offender who is indigent as defined by RCW 10.101.010(3) (a) through (c) is presumed to lack the current ability to pay; (d) If the court determines that the offender is homeless or a person who is mentally ill, as defined in RCW 71.24.025, failure to pay a legal financial obligation is not willful noncompliance and shall not subject the offender to penalties; (e) If the court finds that the failure to pay is willful noncompliance, the court may order the offender to be confined for a period not to exceed sixty days for each violation or order one or more of the penalties authorized in subsection (3)(a)(i) of this section; and (f) If the court finds that the violation was not willful, the court may, and if the court finds that the defendant is indigent as defined in RCW 10.101.010(3) (a) through (c), the court shall modify the terms of payment of the legal financial obligations, reduce or waive nonrestitution legal financial obligations, or convert nonrestitution legal financial obligations to community restitution hours, if the jurisdiction operates a community restitution program, at the rate of no less than the state minimum wage established in RCW 49.46.020 for each hour of community restitution. The crime victim penalty assessment under RCW 7.68.035 may not be reduced, waived, or converted to community restitution hours.	Community service, Incarceration, Payment plan/installment plan	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Washington	Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 10.82.010	Execution for fines and costs	Upon a judgment for fine and costs, and for all adjudged costs, execution shall be issued against the property of the defendant, and returned in the same manner as in + See more civil actions.	Property liens	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Washington	Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 10.01.170	Fine or costs--Payment within specified time or installments	When a defendant is sentenced to pay a fine or costs, the court may grant permission for payment to be made within a specified period of time or in specified + See more installments.	Payment plan/installment plan	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Washington	Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 10.82.030	Commitment for failure to pay fine and costs — Execution against defendant’s property — Reduction by payment, labor, or confinement	If any person ordered into custody until the fine and costs adjudged against him or her be paid shall not, within five days, pay, or cause the payment of the + See more same to be made, the clerk of the court shall issue a warrant to the sheriff commanding him or her to imprison such defendant in the county jail until the amount of such fine and costs owing are paid. Execution may at any time issue against the property of the defendant for that portion of such fine and costs not reduced by the application of this section. The amount of such fine and costs owing shall be the whole of such fine and costs reduced by the amount of any portion thereof paid, and an amount established by the county legislative authority for every day the defendant performs labor as provided in RCW 10.82.040, and a lesser amount established by the county legislative authority for every day the defendant does not perform such labor while imprisoned.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Washington	Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 3.62.040(5)	Costs, fines, forfeitures, and penalties from city cases--Disposition--Interest	(5) (a) Except as provided in (b) of this subsection, penalties, fines, fees, and costs may accrue interest at the rate of twelve percent per annum, upon assignment to a collection agency. + See more Interest may accrue only while the case is in collection status. (b) As of June 7, 2018, penalties, fines, bail forfeitures, fees, and costs imposed against a defendant in a criminal proceeding shall not accrue interest.	Collection fee/interest	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Washington	Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 10.82.080	Unlawful receipt of public assistance — Deduction from subsequent assistance payments — Restitution payments	(1) When a superior court has, as a condition of the sentence for a person convicted of the unlawful receipt of public assistance, ordered restitution to the state of that + See more overpayment or a portion thereof: (a) The department of social and health services shall deduct the overpayment from subsequent assistance payments as provided in RCW 43.20B.630, when the person is receiving public assistance; or (b) Ordered restitution payments may be made at the direction of the court to the clerk of the appropriate county or directly to the department of social and health services when the person is not receiving public assistance.	Wage/bank account garnishment	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Washington	Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 10.82.040	Commitment for failure to pay fine and costs--Reduction of amount by performance of labor	When a defendant is committed to jail, on failure to pay any fines and costs, he or she shall, under the supervision of the county sheriff and subject to the + See more terms of any ordinances adopted by the county commissioners, be permitted to perform labor to reduce the amount owing of the fine and costs.	Work program/jail industry program	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Washington	Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 7.68.035(3)	PenPenalty assessments in addition to fine or bail forfeiture — Distribution — Establishment of crime victim and witness programs in county — Contribution required from cities and towns	When any person accused of having committed a crime posts bail in superior court pursuant to the provisions of chapter 10.19 RCW and such bail is forfeited, there shall be + See more deducted from the proceeds of such forfeited bail a penalty assessment, in addition to any other penalty or fine imposed by law, equal to the assessment which would be applicable under subsection (1) of this section if the person had been convicted of the crime.	Increased fine	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Washington	Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 9.92.130	City jail prisoners may be compelled to work	When a person has been sentenced by any municipal or district judge in this state to a term of imprisonment in a city jail, whether in default of payment of + See more a fine or otherwise, such person may be compelled on each day of such term, except Sundays, to perform eight hours' labor upon the streets, public buildings, and grounds of such city.	Community service	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Washington	Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 7.68.120(2)	Reimbursement — Restitution to victim — Notice — Fees — Order to withhold and deliver — Limitation	(2) (a) The department may issue a notice of debt due and owing to the person found to have committed the criminal act, and shall serve the notice on the person in + See more the manner prescribed for the service of a summons in a civil action or by certified mail. The department shall file the notice of debt due and owing along with proof of service with the superior court of the county where the criminal act took place. The person served the notice shall have thirty days from the date of service to respond to the notice by requesting a hearing in superior court. (b) If a person served a notice of debt due and owing fails to respond within thirty days, the department may seek a default judgment. Upon entry of a judgment in an action brought pursuant to (a) of this subsection, the clerk shall enter the order in the execution docket. The filing fee shall be added to the amount of the debt indicated in the judgment. The judgment shall become a lien upon all real and personal property of the person named in the judgment as in other civil cases. The judgment shall be subject to execution, garnishment, or other procedures for collection of a judgment.	Civil judgment, Property liens, Wage/bank account garnishment	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Washington	Wash. Rev. Code Ann. § 9.95.210(2)-(3),(5)	Conditions of probation	(2) In the order granting probation and as a condition thereof, the superior court may in its discretion imprison the defendant in the county jail for a period not exceeding one + See more year and may fine the defendant any sum not exceeding the statutory limit for the offense committed, and court costs. As a condition of probation, the superior court shall require the payment of the penalty assessment required by RCW 7.68.035. The superior court may also require the defendant to make such monetary payments, on such terms as it deems appropriate under the circumstances, as are necessary: (a) To comply with any order of the court for the payment of family support; (b) to make restitution to any person or persons who may have suffered loss or damage by reason of the commission of the crime in question or when the offender pleads guilty to a lesser offense or fewer offenses and agrees with the prosecutor’s recommendation that the offender be required to pay restitution to a victim of an offense or offenses which are not prosecuted pursuant to a plea agreement; (c) to pay such fine as may be imposed and court costs, including reimbursement of the state for costs of extradition if return to this state by extradition was required; (d) following consideration of the financial condition of the person subject to possible electronic monitoring, to pay for the costs of electronic monitoring if that monitoring was required by the court as a condition of release from custody or as a condition of probation; (e) to contribute to a county or interlocal drug fund; and (f) to make restitution to a public agency for the costs of an emergency response under RCW 38.52.430, and may require bonds for the faithful observance of any and all conditions imposed in the probation. (3) The superior court shall order restitution in all cases where the victim is entitled to benefits under the crime victims’ compensation act, chapter 7.68 RCW. If the superior court does not order restitution and the victim of the crime has been determined to be entitled to benefits under the crime victims’ compensation act, the department of labor and industries, as administrator of the crime victims’ compensation program, may petition the superior court within one year of imposition of the sentence for entry of a restitution order. Upon receipt of a petition from the department of labor and industries, the superior court shall hold a restitution hearing and shall enter a restitution order. (5) If the probationer has been ordered to make restitution and the superior court has ordered supervision, the officer supervising the probationer shall make a reasonable effort to ascertain whether restitution has been made. If the superior court has ordered supervision and restitution has not been made as ordered, the officer shall inform the prosecutor of that violation of the terms of probation not less than three months prior to the termination of the probation period. The secretary of corrections will promulgate rules and regulations for the conduct of the person during the term of probation. For defendants found guilty in district court, like functions as the secretary performs in regard to probation may be performed by probation officers employed for that purpose by the county legislative authority of the county wherein the court is located.	Condition or extension of supervision, Increased fine	All	No

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