Revenue Generation and County-Level Monetary Sanctions Collections: Evidence from Georgia

• In Event: Multi-State Study of Monetary Sanctions

Abstract

The events in Ferguson, MO and the subsequent Department of Justice investigation have spurred increased policy and scholarly attention toward monetary sanctions as a revenue-generation mechanism for local governments. Yet the ecological factors that influence rates of monetary sanction imposition and enforcement are little understood, in part due to data limitations. This study examines the county-level demographic, economic, and criminal justice factors that are associated with the amount of monetary sanctions collected by counties using unique data from Georgia between 2010 and 2013. Results of random effects models using a pooled cross sectional data set to predict per capita monetary sanctions show that counties that are more Black, are more rural, that spend more per capita on law enforcement, and that rely more on fines/fees/forfeitures for the own revenue collect monetary sanctions at higher rates. These results suggest that law enforcement costs and revenue generation, in addition to race and rurality, are important factors associated with monetary sanctions collection. We discuss implications for policy and future research in light of these results.

Authors

• Sarah Shannon, University of Georgia

• Brittany Martin, University of Georgia