"Court debt" a steep barrier to a clean slate for those with criminal records
CBSN
Court fees and fines that individuals who are convicted of crimes cannot afford to pay are too often all that stand in the way of a second chance at jobs and productive, independent lives for low-income adults with criminal records.
But state laws make it nearly impossible for low-income individuals with criminal records to achieve the clean slate that is a practical necessity for successfully starting over, according to a new report titled "The High Cost of a Fresh Start," from the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) and the Collateral Consequences Resource Center (CCRC).
In other words, unpaid court debt — including outstanding booking fees, drug-testing fees, representation by a public defender, prison room and board, and other costs — makes it hard, if not impossible, for people to clear their criminal records and access employment, secure a place to live and support themselves and their families. Late fees and interest charges often only pile up to compound the problem.
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