Data Explorer: Enforcement Mechanisms | 50 State Criminal Justice Debt Tool

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
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kansas	Kan. Stat. Ann. § 8-2110	Failure to comply with traffic citation; misdemeanor; suspension of driver's license; restricted driving privileges; fees for mailing notice; reinstatement fee; authorized only by legislative enactment; disposition of reinstatement fees	When a person fails to comply with a traffic citation, except for illegal parking, standing or stopping, the district or municipal court in which the person should have complied with + See more the citation shall mail notice to the person that if the person does not appear in district or municipal court or pay all fines, court costs and any penalties within 30 days from the date of mailing notice, the division of vehicles will be notified to suspend the person's driving privileges. The district or municipal court may charge an additional fee of $5 for mailing such notice.	Driver's license suspension/impoundment	Misdemeanor	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kansas	Kan. Stat. Ann. § 8-1567	Driving a commercial motor vehicle under the influence; penalties	In lieu of payment of a fine imposed pursuant to this section, the court may order that the person perform community service specified by the court. The person shall receive + See more a credit on the fine imposed in an amount equal to $5 for each full hour spent by the person in the specified community service. The community service ordered by the court shall be required to be performed not later than one year after the fine is imposed or by an earlier date specified by the court. If by the required date the person performs an insufficient amount of community service to reduce to zero the portion of the fine required to be paid by the person, the remaining balance of the fine shall become due on that date.	Community service	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kansas	Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6604(q)	Authorized dispositions; crimes committed on or after July 1, 1993	In imposing a fine, the court may authorize the payment thereof in installments. In lieu of payment of any fine imposed, the court may order that the person perform community + See more service specified by the court. The person shall receive a credit on the fine imposed in an amount equal to $5 for each full hour spent by the person in the specified community service. The community service ordered by the court shall be required to be performed by the later of one year after the fine is imposed or one year after release from imprisonment or jail, or by an earlier date specified by the court. If by the required date the person performs an insufficient amount of community service to reduce to zero the portion of the fine required to be paid by the person, the remaining balance shall become due on that date. If conditional reduction of any fine is rescinded by the court for any reason, then pursuant to the court's order the person may be ordered to perform community service by one year after the date of such rescission or by an earlier date specified by the court. If by the required date the person performs an insufficient amount of community service to reduce to zero the portion of the fine required to be paid by the person, the remaining balance of the fine shall become due on that date. All credits for community service shall be subject to review and approval by the court.	Payment plan/installment plan	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kansas	Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6607(b)(11)	Conditions of probation or suspended sentence; correctional supervision fee; correctional supervision fund; searches; drug testing; written reports	The court may impose any conditions of probation, suspension of sentence or assignment to a community correctional services program that the court deems proper, including, but not limited to, requiring + See more that the defendant: (11) perform services under a system of day fines whereby the defendant is required to satisfy fines, costs or reparation or restitution obligations by performing services for a period of days, determined by the court on the basis of ability to pay, standard of living, support obligations and other factors;	Condition or extension of supervision	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kansas	Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6607(b)(7)	Conditions of probation or suspended sentence; correctional supervision fee; correctional supervision fund; searches; drug testing; written reports	The court may impose any conditions of probation, suspension of sentence or assignment to a community correctional services program that the court deems proper, including, but not limited to, requiring + See more that the defendant: (7) pay a fine or costs, applicable to the offense, in one or several sums and in the manner as directed by the court;	Condition or extension of supervision	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kansas	Kan. Stat. Ann. § 22-3425(1)	Commitment for failure to pay fine and costs	(1) When a defendant is adjudged to pay a fine and costs, the court may order him to be committed to the county jail until such fine and costs are + See more paid or may make an order providing for the payment of such fines and costs in installments.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kansas	K.S.A. Const. Bill of Rights § 16	Imprisonment for debt	No person shall be imprisoned for debt, except in cases of fraud.	Incarceration	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kansas	Kan. Stat. Ann. § 22-3425(2)	Commitment for failure to pay fine and costs	Any person confined in the county jail for failure to pay a fine or costs may be released by the court which imposed sentence, upon satisfactory proof that such person + See more is unable to pay such fine and costs. A release under this section shall not discharge a person from his liability to pay the fine and costs adjudged against him, but they may thereafter be collected by execution as on judgments in civil cases.	Payment plan/installment plan	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kansas	Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6604(b)(1)(2)	Authorized dispositions; crimes committed on or after July 1, 1993	If the court orders restitution, the restitution shall be a judgment against the defendant which may be collected by the court by garnishment or other execution as on judgments in + See more civil cases. If, after 60 days from the date restitution is ordered by the court, a defendant is found to be in noncompliance with the plan established by the court for payment of restitution, and the victim to whom restitution is ordered paid has not initiated proceedings in accordance with K.S.A. 60-4301 et seq., and amendments thereto, the court shall assign an agent procured by the attorney general pursuant to K.S.A. 75-719, and amendments thereto, to collect the restitution on behalf of the victim. The chief judge of each judicial district may assign such cases to an appropriate division of the court for the conduct of civil collection proceedings.	Wage/bank account garnishment	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kansas	Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6604(j)	Authorized dispositions; crimes committed on or after July 1, 1993	(j) This section shall not deprive the court of any authority conferred by any other Kansas statute to decree a forfeiture of property, suspend or cancel a license, remove a + See more person from office or impose any other civil penalty as a result of conviction of crime.	Driver's license suspension/impoundment	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kansas	Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6604(j)	Authorized dispositions; crimes committed on or after July 1, 1993	(j) This section shall not deprive the court of any authority conferred by any other Kansas statute to decree a forfeiture of property, suspend or cancel a license, remove a + See more person from office or impose any other civil penalty as a result of conviction of crime.	Driver's license suspension/impoundment	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kansas	Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6604(f)(1)	Authorized dispositions; crimes committed on or after July 1, 1993	(j) This section shall not deprive the court of any authority conferred by any other Kansas statute to decree a forfeiture of property, suspend or cancel a license, remove a + See more person from office or impose any other civil penalty as a result of conviction of crime.	Property liens	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Kansas	Kan. Stat. Ann. § 21-6604(j)	Authorized dispositions; crimes committed on or after July 1, 1994	(f)(1) When a new felony is committed while the offender is incarcerated and serving a sentence for a felony, or while the offender is on probation, assignment to a community + See more correctional services program, parole, conditional release or postrelease supervision for a felony, a new sentence shall be imposed consecutively pursuant to the provisions of K.S.A. 21-6606, and amendments thereto, and the court may sentence the offender to imprisonment for the new conviction, even when the new crime of conviction otherwise presumes a nonprison sentence. In this event, imposition of a prison sentence for the new crime does not constitute a departure.	Condition or extension of supervision	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Rhode Island	R.I. Gen. Laws. Ann. § 12-19-31	Commitment for nonpayment of fines and costs	Whenever any person shall be committed for nonpayment of fines and costs, the sheriffs of the several counties and their deputies, and the town sergeants and town constables of any + See more town in the several counties, upon due warrant from the court before whom the person has been convicted, may lawfully remove and commit the persons to the adult correctional institutions and they shall be allowed any fees that are now provided by law in similar cases; provided, that in the counties of Newport and Washington, any person before removal from the county of Newport or the county of Washington, in which sentence is entered, may pay the fine and costs into the court or into the office of the clerk of the court in which sentence is imposed and upon payment shall be discharged.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Rhode Island	R.I. Gen. Laws. Ann. § 12-21-9	Commitment for failure to obey judgment or sentence	If any person against whom sentence is passed or judgment rendered, under any penal statute, shall refuse or neglect to perform the sentence or to pay the judgment, he or + See more she shall, by order of the court passing the sentence or by the officer charged with the execution issued on the judgment, be committed to the adult correctional institutions, and be imprisoned there until the sentence is performed or he or she is discharged by due course of law.	Incarceration	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Rhode Island	R.I. Gen. Laws. Ann. § 12-21-1(1)	Methods of recovering fines and forfeitures	Unless otherwise specially provided: (1) All fines of five hundred dollars ($ 500) and under shall be recovered by complaint and summons; (2) All fines of upwards of five hundred dollars ($ 500), by + See more indictment or information; (3) All penalties and pecuniary forfeitures, by action of debt; and (4) All forfeitures of personal property, by complaint and warrant or by information.	Civil judgment, Other	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Rhode Island	R.I. Gen. Laws. Ann. § 12-21-33	Suspension of operators' license for failure to pay costs, fines, fees, or assessments	A judge of the superior or district court or the traffic tribunal may order the suspension of a person's license issued pursuant to chapter 10 of title 31 if the + See more person fails to pay court ordered costs, fines, fees, restitution or assessments within the time period provided for in an order of the court. The judge may order the suspension to be effective until the person complies with the court order.	Driver's license suspension/impoundment	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Rhode Island	R.I. Gen. Laws. Ann. § 12-25-26	Recovery of victim compensation from offender	Whenever any person is convicted of an offense and compensation is awarded under this chapter or under the 1972 Act for a personal injury or death resulting from the act + See more constituting the offense, the state of Rhode Island shall institute an action against that person for the recovery of the whole or any specified part of the compensation in the superior court of the state of Rhode Island in any county, or in the state or federal court of any other state or district in which that person resides or is found, or make a finding in writing, of the reasons why it is impractical or impossible to institute that action. The office shall pursue the recovery whenever possible in order to provide additional funds for the violent crimes indemnity account. The administrator shall develop rules and regulations pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act, chapter 35 of title 42, to identify those so convicted, determine their ability to compensate the fund, and file whatever action is appropriate to recoup those funds.	Civil judgment, Other	All	Yes
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Rhode Island	R.I. Gen. Laws. Ann. § 12-19-8.1	Conditions of probation	(a) The following shall constitute basic conditions of probation applicable to all defendants upon whom a period of probation has been imposed: (8) Pay restitution, court costs, and fines, if + See more assessed, in one or several sums, based on the defendant's ability to pay; and	Condition or extension of supervision	All	No
Add to Dashboard + Create New	Rhode Island	R.I. Gen. Laws. Ann. § 12-25-26	Recovery from offender	(a) Whenever any person is convicted of an offense and compensation is awarded under this chapter or under the 1972 Act for a personal injury or death resulting from the + See more act constituting the offense, the state of Rhode Island shall institute an action against that person for the recovery of the whole or any specified part of the compensation in the superior court of the state of Rhode Island in any county, or in the state or federal court of any other state or district in which that person resides or is found, or make a finding in writing, of the reasons why it is impractical or impossible to institute that action. The office shall pursue the recovery whenever possible in order to provide additional funds for the violent crimes indemnity account. The administrator shall develop rules and regulations pursuant to the Administrative Procedures Act, chapter 35 of title 42, to identify those so convicted, determine their ability to compensate the fund, and file whatever action is appropriate to recoup those funds.	Civil judgment	All	No

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