DOJ guidance to courts will help ensure fairness to poor
The following statement regarding the U.S. Department of Justice’s letter today to judges and court administrators about unconstitutional state court policies is by Sam Brooke, deputy legal director at the Southern Poverty Law Center:
“The Department of Justice took an important step today by reminding courts that they must be places of justice, not revenue generators. Far too often, municipalities use court fines and fees as a way to balance budgets – trapping the poor in a cycle of debt and incarceration. This creates a two-tiered, unequal system of justice: one for people who can pay immediately and another, far-harsher version for those who cannot.
“These policies – including the use of modern-day debtors’ prisons and for-profit probation companies to collect fees – are often unconstitutional and erode trust in the judicial system. The DOJ letter provides valuable guidance and support to help judges ensure that their courts live up to ideals of fairness and justice.”
