This 2013 study sets out to understand, in the individual’s own words, precisely how the punishment of prison and its collateral consequences — particularly criminal justice debt (court-mandated fines, fees, and child support) — affect individuals’ financial situations and stability. The research supports three key findings:
- The types of financial obligations owed to the state have proliferated, and the penalties for debt have been increasingly criminalized with harsh sanctions.
- Debt is paid not only by those convicted of crimes, but also by their families (or friends) who are the last stop before re-incarceration.
- Public policy aimed at collecting debt must ultimately be more closely tailored to the ability of an individual — not that of his or her family or network of friends — to pay what may be due.
