Fines and Fees

The Eighth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads, “Excessive bail shall not be required, not excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishment inflicted.”

But in Alabama, nearly every conviction from traffic tickets to felonies comes with a price tag. Fines, fees, and court costs can easily add up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars. For Alabamians who lack access to wealth, these legal financial obligations can create a lifetime of financial instability. They are a hidden tax on those least able to pay. 

Individual debtors are not the only ones harmed by Alabama’s unaccountable fines and fees system. Appleseed’s research shows that:

• Crime victims are harmed by a default priority system that only reimburses them for losses after all other accounts that are due to receive revenue from fines and fees are satisfied;
• Public safety is undermined because prosecutors are expected to fund regular office expenses with revenue from fines and fees, instead of the state’s General Fund;
• Community trust is lost when police, prosecutors, and courts are perceived as revenue collectors instead of impartial administrators of justice;
• Debtors are harmed when excessive fines and fees force them to make desperate choices such as forgoing basic necessities, taking out costly payday loans, or even committing additional crimes to stay current on their debts;
• State resources are wasted because most fine and fee debt is uncollectable, but debt from fines and fees is never discharged, forcing courts to spend resources actively monitoring debtors until they die.

Since 2018, Alabama Appleseed has worked to document the harms of fines and fees on individuals, courts, state agencies, and the state’s bottom line. And we’ve developed, advocated for, and helped pass evidence-informed solutions.