A study funded by the VA National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans and published by the Journal of General Internal Medicine in November 2019 analyzed the relationship between adverse social determinants of health (including violence, housing instability, financial/employment problems, legal problems, familial/social problems, lack of access to care/transportation, and nonspecific psychosocial needs) and suicide ideation and attempt among veterans.
The United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division published a “Dear Colleague” letter on March 14, 2016 outlining seven recommendations concerning court enforcement of fines and fees. The mission of the Working Group is to review the recommendations, and to evaluate 1) whether Massachusetts laws support each recommendation; and 2) whether the Trial Court is in compliance with each recommendation. This report further sets forth the Working Group’s proposals for adoption and implementation of the Department of Justice recommendations.
This report describes the role that racial bias plays in the practices of police and traffic courts in California. Using records collected from the Dept. of Motor Vehicles, U.S. Census, and a host of police departments, the authors offer evidence that a disproportionate number of license suspensions and arrests related to unpaid fines and fees exacerbate poverty among low-income populations. The discussion also includes true accounts of such experiences as well as recommendations for alleviating issues related to the criminal justice system’s handling of traffic infractions.
This article serves to discuss Criminal Justice Financial Obligations and raises concerns about how they are implemented. It also considers alternative models for the effective and fair deployment of fines, fees, and restitution in the criminal justice context.
Ipsa-Landa and Loeffler find that criminal records stifle educational, employment, and housing opportunity. They interviewed individuals who are seeking to have their records expunged. They find that these individuals had tried to persuade their landlords and potential employers in the past to overlook their criminal record when applying for housing or a job, but they were often unsuccessful.
Researchers at the University of Michigan find that record clearing interventions improves wages and employment trajectories. They find that only 6.5 percent of those eligible for an expungement seek out an expungement. They also find that those who have obtained expungements have significantly lower crime rates than the general population.
Researchers at the Urban Institute conducted interviews with survivors of human trafficking and social service providers. They find a large unmet need for legal services.
The Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse (TRAC) is a data research and distribution organization at Syracuse University. TRAC analyzed the cases in immigration court.
The Federal Trade Commission presents recommendations, which they gathered through public roundtables the year prior. These roundtables brought together representatives from the debt collection industry, consumer advocates, judges, attorneys, and others.
This article analyzes the lack of focus on immigrants in family court and the collateral consequences that immigrants can experience from attending family court. Liebmann also finds that most family court judges and lawyers do not know about the implications for immigrants in family court.
Legal Aid Research 