The Cost of Being Poor? The Fight Against Fines and Fees

Almost any encounter with the criminal justice system comes with a price tag, and fines and fees are capturing millions of Americans in a cycle of poverty and justice-involvement. Various states across the country charge you for using a public defender, a DNA sample, your monthly parole meetings, even a jury trial. And that’s in addition to the fines attached to any conviction. Fall too far behind on your payments and you could end up in jail. On this episode, we hear from a judge in Washington State who’s come up with an innovative solution to help break this cycle, and from Alexes Harris, a leading researcher on how fines and fees are used across the country. Full show notes (includes pictures, episode transcript, and resources & references section)