Publications
Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice Debt: A Barrier to Reentry
Cash-strapped states have increasingly turned to user fees to fund their criminal justice systems, as well as to provide general budgetary support. States now charge defendants for everything from probation supervision, to jail stays, to the use of a constitutionally-required public defender. Every stage of the criminal justice process, it seems, has become ripe for a surcharge.
Authored by: Alicia Bannon, Mitali Nagrecha, Rebekah Diller
– 10/04/10
Community Oriented Defense: Stronger Public Defenders
Authored by: Melanca Clark & Emily Savner
– 07/21/10
Racial Disparities in Federal Prosecutions
Authored by: Brennan Center for Justice & the National Institute on Law and Equity
– 04/14/10
The Hidden Costs of Florida’s Criminal Justice Fees
Authored by: Rebekah Diller
– 03/23/10
Supreme Court Adjudication and the Qualifications of Supreme Court Nominees
Authored by: Sidney S. Rosdeitcher
– 07/02/09
Maryland’s Parole Supervision Fee: A Barrier to Reentry
Parolees from whom the state seeks to subsidize its coffers are often struggling to get by at the most basic level. This publication notes the fees drive people into debt, do little to fund the state, and severely affect recidivism. This study offers key findings as well as recommendations to correct the problem.
Authored by: Rebekah Diller, Judith Greene, & Michelle Jacobs
– 03/23/09
Smart on Crime
Transition Document: A coalition of more than 20 organizations, including the Brennan Center for Justice, and individuals created this publication of a catalogue of key criminal justice issues and policy recommendations for the next administration and congress.
Authored by: Criminal Justice Transition Coalition
– 11/06/08
Eligible for Justice: Guidelines for Appointing Defense Counsel
Neither the Supreme Court, nor any other source, has detailed how communities should determine who can afford counsel and who cannot. This report presents information about best practices for determining financial eligibility for free counsel. The report gathers, in one place, existing standards and procedures, relevant judicial precedent, and the specific views of many defenders in communities around the country.
Authored by: The Access to Justice Program
– 09/16/08
Sentencing for Dollars: The Financial Consequences of a Criminal Conviction
Driven by a combination of philosophical purposes—punishment, reparation, cost recovery, revenue production and cost shifting—local governments, states and the federal government have come to impose a vast array of fines, fees, costs, penalties, surcharges, forfeitures, assessments, reimbursements and restitutions that are levied against people convicted of criminal offenses.
Authored by: Alan Rosenthal and Marsha Weissman
– 02/01/07
Repaying Debts
A guide for legislators, administrators of corrections and community corrections agencies, court officials, victim advocates, child support enforcement officials, social service providers, and others who have an interest in the repayment of debts owed by people released from prisons and jails.
Authored by: Bureau of Justice Assistance
– 01/01/07