The Impact of Fees and Fines for Individuals on Probation and Parole
Join the Robina Institute on Thursday, April 14 at 3:00 p.m. at the University of Minnesota’s Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs, Cowles Auditorium, for a panel discussion and conversation between experts about how fees and fines impact individuals on probation and parole.
This In Conversation will be moderated by Robina Co-Director, Professor Kevin R. Reitz. Panelists include Professor Chris Uggen, Sociology, University of Minnesota; the Honorable John T. Lu, Massachusetts Superior Court; Catherine McVey, Senior Policy Advisor, Council of State Governments; and Dr. Ebony Ruhland, Research Director, Robina Institute of Criminal Law and Criminal Justice, University of Minnesota Law School.
Fees and Fines in Probation and Parole
Probationers and parolees have many supervision requirements or conditions of their release. They are required to pay fees as a condition of their supervision, and are also required to pay for any programs and other “services” as part of their supervision conditions. The combination of fees can be quite high and cause a significant financial strain for some probationers, parolees, and their families — especially those with limited income and employment opportunities.
Some criminal justice professionals feel that supervision fees are a fair and reasonable consequence of being on probation or parole. Others believe that the financial burden of fees on some individuals poses a significant barrier to successful completion of supervision and release. There can be some very serious consequences for failing to pay supervision fees. In some jurisdictions, failure to pay fees results in a violation of the conditions of probation and parole, or even revocation of probation and parole. The individual could be incarcerated or re-incarcerated for failing to pay. In other jurisdictions, fees may not be a formal condition of probation and are collected by a different agency. However, even in these more “lenient” jurisdictions, failing to pay fees can have collateral consequences, such as wage garnishments or a negative impact on credit scores.
Join us for a reception immediately following the event in the Humphrey Atrium.