Unpaid Monetary Sanctions, Electronic Monitoring, and Higher Rates of Revocations

• In Event: Assessing the Impact of Procedural Practices, Social Control, and Economic Sanctions on Marginalized Communities

Abstract

Problem. Prior research has found conflicting findings regarding the association between monetary sanctions and negative supervision outcomes. Further, research has been limited by a narrow selection of type of agency or type of monetary sanction. Improving on prior research, we examine the association between monetary sanctions in three types of supervision agencies (probation, parole, community corrections) and across four types of monetary sanctions (court fines, court fees, restitution, supervision fees).

Procedures. We analyze administrative data from both courts and supervision agencies across the state of Indiana. We examine the commonness, costliness, and impact of monetary sanctions and contextualize the findings using the carceral citizenship framework.

Findings. Results show that supervision fees are the most common type of monetary sanctions levied. The most costly monetary sanctions are found in community corrections which relies heavily on electronic monitoring. Further, regression results illustrate that unpaid monetary sanctions in probation and community corrections, but not parole, are associated with greater odds of revocation. This unique sample contrasts three starkly different approaches to monetary sanctions while holding the time and space constant, as they all are located in Indiana, from 2016 – 2020.

Authors

• Miriam Northcutt Bohmert, Indiana University Bloomington

• Ebony Ruhland, Rutgers University-Newark

• Michelle Ying, Indiana University Bloomington

• Carmen Diaz, Indiana University Bloomington