When a young person is unable to pay court-related costs, he or she can face what’s known as “debtors’ prison,” a practice a new report says can pull them deeper into the juvenile-justice system. In Indiana, these fees and fines include the cost of tests and evaluations, rehabilitation, probation and court operation. According to the Juvenile Law Center findings, when a family can’t pay up, a young person can be placed in a secure facility or have their probation extended. Associate director at the center Jessica Feierman calls it a punishment for being poor.
The report recommends that states eliminate costs, fines and fees by establishing more sustainable and effective models for funding court systems.
Erin Davies with the Juvenile Justice Coalition says the consequences of these costs can increase recidivism and detour a young person from getting on the right track. She says the report suggests restitution policies that consider rehabilitation while addressing a victim’s needs.
Feierman says excessive court costs put families in highly stressful situations where they face difficult choices.
Other penalties for nonpayment noted in the report include prevented expungement, additional court visits, parents held in contempt and family debt.