Implications of Absolving Fines and Fees for Justice-Involved Individuals Experiencing Homelessness: Findings from a Case Study

• In Event: Lightning Talk: New Frontiers of Research on Housing Instability, Homelessness, and Criminal Justice Systems

Abstract

In the United States monetary sanctions can be collected as a form of restitution for victims of criminal behavior, as fines and fees to offset costs related to the administration of justice criminal behavior, and used as an additional form of punishment. Fines and fees specifically are given to justice-involved individuals as a way compensating the criminal justice system for the various processes and systems involved in the application of justice. Research on fines and fees has underscored the vast unintended consequences of these monetary sanctions, including racial and economic disparities and a greater likeliness of recidivism among individuals who receive them. In this case-study we triangulate results from survey and interview data collected from individuals formerly experiencing homelessness, service providers, and criminal justice entities. We explore the various implications of fines and fees for individuals experiencing homelessness prior to having these financial sanctions absolved. While absolving fines and fees provided a new sense of empowerment among individuals formerly experiencing homelessness, this was not a panacea for several barriers to housing and employment. We identify gaps in providing long-term solutions to issues of homelessness and provide policy recommendations to fill these gaps.

Authors

• Dalton Massingill, University of Mississippi

• Katharine Leigh Brown, University of Mississippi

• Cody Telep, Arizona State University