“Low-hanging fruit” or “blood out of a turnip”? As tax revenue slows, lawmakers in Alabama and across the United States may turn to court costs.
Sluggish tax collections could set the stage nationally for new hikes in court costs, fines, and fees. That’s according to a recent article by The Pew Charitable Trusts, which observes that “many of the fiscal conditions that in recent decades led to this heavy reliance on fines and fees—federal retrenchment, slowing state tax revenue, and […]
Local Court Fee Increases Associated with Increased Jail Detention, New Research Finds
New research led by the Public Affairs Research Council of Alabama (PARCA) and MDRC indicates that each additional $100 in cumulative court fees for criminal cases is associated with an additional 34 jail detentions per 100,000 people at the county level. This small but significant increase suggests that fee increases could increase detention rather than deter it. […]
Lower Fines and Fees Raise MORE Revenue than Higher Fines and Fees, Study Finds
New research indicates that lower fines and fees raise more revenue than higher ones, and that a “collections fee” that is supposed to incentivize payment is instead associated with greater debt. The report, Findings from the Jefferson County Equitable Fines and Fees Project from MDRC, provides insight into an issue the Legislature is struggling to […]
Jefferson County Sees Lower Homicides and Drug Overdose Deaths So Far in 2025
Halfway through 2025, Birmingham’s homicide total is half what it was midyear 2024, a dramatic turnaround after a year of record-setting violence. According to data from the Jefferson County Coroner’s Office, total homicides in Jefferson County have been trending down from a peak in 2021, despite the record number of homicides in the City […]