Government imposes fines as punishment for everything from traffic and municipal code violations to felonies, and imposes fees on top of fines as a means of financing many functions of government, including law enforcement, the court system, and other government operations. But, people unable to afford these sums face a wide range of increasing harms, including more fees, civil judgments, driver’s license suspensions, revocation of voting rights, and even incarceration. It shouldn't be this way.