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
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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
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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
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Montana Mont. Code Ann. § 46-18-244(6) Type and time of payment--defenses--ensuring payment
For a felony offense: (a) during any period that the offender is incarcerated, the department of corrections shall take a percentage, as set by department rule, of any money in
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any account of the defendant administered by the department and use the money to satisfy any existing restitution obligation; (b) at the beginning of any period during which the offender is not incarcerated, the offender shall sign a statement allowing any employer of the offender to garnish up to 25% of the offender's compensation and give the garnished amounts to the department of corrections to be used by the department to satisfy any existing restitution obligation; and (c) during any period that the defendant is on probation or parole, the probation and parole officer shall set a monthly restitution payment amount by dividing the total amount of unpaid restitution by the number of remaining months of probation or parole. The probation and parole officer may adjust the monthly payment up or down by a maximum of 10%, depending on the offender's circumstances.
Wage/bank account garnishment All Yes
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Montana Mont. Code Ann. § 46-18-244(7) Type and time of payment--defenses--ensuring payment
The department of corrections shall give the department of revenue a copy of the order to pay restitution. If full restitution has not been paid, the department of revenue shall,
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pursuant to an agreement made under 46-18-241, intercept any state tax refunds and any federal tax refunds, as provided by law, due the offender and transfer the money to the department of corrections for a felony offense and to the sentencing court for a misdemeanor offense for disbursement to the victim.
Wage/bank account garnishment All Yes
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New York Penal Law § 60.35(5) Inmate money
When a person who is convicted of a crime or violation and sentenced to a term of imprisonment has failed to pay the mandatory surcharge, sex offender registration fee, DNA
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databank fee, crime victim assistance fee or supplemental sex offender victim fee required by this section, the clerk of the court that rendered the conviction shall notify the superintendent or the municipal official of the facility where the person is confined. The superintendent or the municipal official shall cause any amount owing to be collected from such person during his or her term of imprisonment from moneys to the credit of an inmates' fund or such moneys as may be earned by a person in a work release program pursuant to section eight hundred sixty of the correction law. 
Wage/bank account garnishment All Yes
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New York N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 1809(5) Inmate money
The superintendent or the municipal official shall cause any amount owing to be collected from such person during his term of imprisonment from moneys to the credit of an inmates'
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fund or such moneys as may be earned by a person in a work release program pursuant to section eight hundred sixty of the correction law.
Wage/bank account garnishment All Yes
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New York N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 1199(4) License Suspension
4. If a person shall fail to pay any driver responsibility assessment as provided in this section, the commissioner shall suspend such person's driver's license or privilege of obtaining a
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license. Such suspension shall remain in effect until any and all outstanding driver responsibility assessments have been paid in full.
Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes
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New York N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 1194(2) License Suspension No new driver's license or permit shall be issued, or non-resident operating privilege restored to such person unless such penalty has been paid. Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes
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New York N.Y. Veh. & Traf. Law § 503 License Suspension
(d) If a person shall fail to pay any driver responsibility assessment as provided in this subdivision, the commissioner shall suspend such person's driver's license or privilege of obtaining a
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license. Such suspension shall remain in effect until any and all outstanding driver responsibility assessments have been paid in full.
Driver's license suspension/impoundment All Yes
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Oklahoma Okla. Stat. tit. 22, § 1355.14D Payment of costs of representation--Fee schedule
Any order directing the defendant to pay costs of representation shall be a lien against all real and personal property of the defendant and may be filed against such property
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and foreclosed as provided by law for civil liens.
Property liens All Yes
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Tennessee Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-2-129(b)(4) Compensation and salaries; work release (4) If the prisoner is gainfully self-employed, the prisoner shall pay for such board, in default of which the prisoner's privilege under §§ 41-2-127 -- 41-2-132 shall be automatically forfeited. Other All Yes
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Tennessee Tenn. Code Ann. § 41-2-128(5) Prisoners who may apply for release -- Procedure.
(5) (A) The judge shall, at the time of sentencing, cause the sentencing order to reflect the defendant's cost of incarceration and treatment and shall affix to the order,
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taking into consideration the defendant's ability to pay, the time and manner in which the costs are to be paid. The court shall enter the necessary orders requiring that the costs of incarceration and treatment be paid or secured, including, but not limited to, orders of probation that include, as a condition thereof, the payment of costs covered by this subdivision (c)(5).
Condition or extension of supervision All Yes
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Utah Utah Code Ann. § 77-38a-401 Entry of judgment--Interest--Civil actions--Lien
(1) Upon the court determining that a defendant owes restitution, the clerk of the court shall enter an order of complete restitution as defined in Section 77-38a-302 on the civil
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judgment docket and provide notice of the order to the parties. (2) The order shall be considered a legal judgment, enforceable under the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure. In addition, the department may, on behalf of the person in whose favor the restitution order is entered, enforce the restitution order as judgment creditor under the Utah Rules of Civil Procedure. (3) If the defendant fails to obey a court order for payment of restitution and the victim or department elects to pursue collection of the order by civil process, the victim shall be entitled to recover collection and reasonable attorney fees.
Property liens All Yes
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Utah Utah Code Ann. § 77-18-6.5(2) Liability of rescued person for costs of emergency response
The judgment shall constitute a lien when recorded in the judgment docket and shall have the same effect and is subject to the same rules as a judgment for money
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in a civil action.
Property liens All Yes
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Michigan Mich. Comp. Laws § 774.28 Neglecting to pay fine or costs; action by county treasurer; neglecting to pay over fine to county treasurer as misdemeanor; punishment; judge to keep exact record of proceedings; liability.
(1) If a person who has received a fine or costs or any part of a fine or costs, neglects to pay the money pursuant to section 22 or 26
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of this chapter, the county treasurer immediately shall commence an action for the unpaid amount, in the name of the people of this state, and shall prosecute the case diligently to effect. (2) A person who neglects to pay over a fine to the county treasurer within 60 days after receiving the fine, is guilty of a misdemeanor and shall be punished by a fine of not less than $50.00 nor more than $100.00, or imprisonment for not less than 30 nor more than 90 days, or both.
Increased fine All Yes
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Michigan Mich. Comp. Laws § 780.73 Credit for incarceration on bailable offense
Any person incarcerated on a bailable offense who does not supply bail and against whom a fine is levied on conviction of such offense shall be allowed a credit of
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$5.00 for each day so incarcerated prior to conviction except that in no case shall the amount so allowed or credited exceed the amount of the fine.
Incarceration All Yes
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Michigan Mich. Comp. Laws § 780.796(b)(1)-(3) Deductions and payments - juvenile
(1) If a juvenile who has been sentenced to the department of corrections is ordered to pay restitution under section 44, and if the juvenile receives more than $50.00 in
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a month, the department of corrections shall deduct 50% of the amount over $50.00 received by the juvenile for payment of the restitution. The department of corrections shall promptly send the deducted money to the court or to the crime victim as provided in the order of restitution when it accumulates to an amount that exceeds $100.00, or when the juvenile is paroled, transferred to community programs, or discharged on the maximum sentence. (2) If a juvenile who has been sentenced to jail is ordered to pay restitution under section 44, and if the juvenile receives more than $50.00 in a month, the sheriff may deduct 50% of the amount over $50.00 received by the juvenile for payment of the restitution, and 5% of the amount over $50.00 received by the juvenile to be retained by the sheriff as an administrative fee. The sheriff shall promptly send the money deducted for restitution to the court or to the crime victim as provided in the order of restitution when it accumulates to an amount that exceeds $100.00, or when the juvenile is released to probation or discharged on the maximum sentence. (3) If a juvenile who has been placed in a juvenile facility is ordered to pay restitution under section 44, and if the juvenile receives more than $50.00 in a month, the department of human services or the county juvenile agency, as applicable, may deduct 50% of the amount over $50.00 received by the juvenile for payment of the restitution. The department of human services or the county juvenile agency, as applicable, shall promptly send the deducted money to the court or to the crime victim as provided in the order of restitution when it accumulates to an amount that exceeds $100.00, or when the juvenile is released from the juvenile facility.
Wage/bank account garnishment All Yes
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Michigan Mich. Comp. Laws § 769.4 Conditional sentence
The person against whom any such conditional sentence shall be awarded, shall be forthwith committed to the custody of an officer in court or to the county jail, to be
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detained until the sentence be complied with; and if he shall not pay the fine within the time limited, the sheriff shall cause the other part of the sentence to be executed forthwith.
Incarceration All Yes
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Michigan Mich. Court Rule 3.606 Contempts Outside Immediate Presence of Court
(A) Initiation of Proceeding. For a contempt committed outside the immediate view and presence of the court, on a proper showing on ex parte motion supported by affidavits, the court
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shall either (1) order the accused person to show cause, at a reasonable time specified in the order, why that person should not be punished for the alleged misconduct; or (2) issue a bench warrant for the arrest of the person. . . . (D) Assignment of Bond; Damages. The court may order assignment of the bond to an aggrieved party who is authorized by the court to prosecute the bond under MCR 3.604(H). The measure of the damages to be assessed in an action on the bond is the extent of the loss or injury sustained by the aggrieved party because of the misconduct for which the order for arrest was issued, and that party's costs and expenses in securing the order. The remainder of the penalty of the bond is paid into the treasury of the county in which the bond was taken, to the credit of the general fund.
Incarceration All Yes
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Michigan Mich. Comp. Laws § 769.1a(13) Restitution - lien
An order of restitution entered under this section remains effective until it is satisfied in full. An order of restitution is a judgment and lien against all property of the
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defendant for the amount specified in the order of restitution. The lien may be recorded as provided by law. An order of restitution may be enforced by the prosecuting attorney, a victim, a victim's estate, or any other person or entity named in the order to receive the restitution in the same manner as a judgment in a civil action or a lien.
Property liens All Yes
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Michigan Mich. Comp. Laws § 780.826(13) Order of restitution
An order of restitution entered under this section remains effective until it is satisfied in full. An order of restitution is a judgment and lien against all property of the
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defendant for the amount specified in the order of restitution. The lien may be recorded as provided by law. An order of restitution may be enforced by the prosecuting attorney, a victim, a victim's estate, or any other person or entity named in the order to receive restitution in the same manner as a judgment in a civil action or a lien.
Property liens Misdemeanor Yes