CEOARE is guided by core principles: The ability to pay fines, fees or bail should never be the sole reason for incarceration, and justice system fines and fees should not disproportionately punish the poor.
We are working to:
- Eliminate fees and reform justice system fines based on the ability to pay to reduce the additional burden placed on individuals and families experiencing poverty.
- Eliminate the practice of debt-based driver’s license suspensions, a harmful and counterproductive method of collecting unpaid fines and fees.
- Reduce unnecessary pretrial incarceration and racial disparities while prioritizing public safety and pretrial liberty to minimize unnecessary disruption to people’s lives, families and employment.
Many existing policies create a two-tier system of justice that disproportionately impact communities of color. According to the Federal Reserve, more than one-fourth of adults had one or more bills that they were unable to pay in full that month or were one $400 financial setback away from being unable to pay them, which means many Americans would be unable to afford even small amounts of justice system fines, fees or cash bail. This is not only harmful to individuals’ overall well-being, but also to the economic growth of the business community due to the overwhelming impact of absenteeism, labor shortages, and turnover.
In a just system, legislation should not disproportionately target any demographic. Join us as we pursue change in the following states:
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- Of the 631,000 Americans sitting in jail every day, 74% are presumed innocent awaiting trial.
- The median annual income of those unable to afford bail is $15,000. For Black Americans, it is $11,000 for men and $9,000 for women.
- Many people are unable to afford fines and fees, indicated by the national court debt that totals at least $27.6 billion
- 12% of Black families have unpaid legal expenses, fines or court costs, compared to 5% of white families
- 7 million Americans have had their licenses suspended for unpaid court or administrative debts
Advocacy & Insights
“Decriminalizing poverty is very close to me because I have family members that have been and are in the criminal justice system. It’s a cycle and many are unable to get out. And if you get out, you’ve already lost your job, your car, your apartment…how can you get your head above water?”
– Candace Axel, TechnipFMC
