Analysis from NCAJ finds that if New York passes the End Predatory Court Fees Act the state could become a national model for curbing the criminalization of poverty, moving to first in the nation on NCAJ's Fines and Fees Justice Index. The bill would establish new policies that match best policies in the Index, including 1) ending mandatory criminal court surcharges as well as parole and probation fees, 2) requiring judges to consider ability to pay when imposing fines, 3) restoring to judges the authority to waive or modify fines, 4) abolishing incarceration as a punishment for failure to pay, and 5) ending the garnishment of commissary for unpaid fines and fees.
