NCJ Number
158752
Date Published
1995
Length
46 pages
Annotation
This is a report on the development, progress, and outcome of an Oregon project designed to increase the use of fines as a criminal sanction by establishing fine amounts that take into account the offender's financial means and the severity of the crime.
Abstract
The project's goals were to achieve greater equity in the use of fines across the State by implementing a single penalty structure and needs assessment instrument for statewide use, to achieve greater integrity in the use of fines, and to maintain an overall level of revenue currently generated by fines by monitoring the imposition and collection of fines. The program was implemented in four counties. Most of the work of the project focused on integrating the concept of structured fines into an existing court environment, accommodating it to daily management, and adapting it for police or vice versa. The basic concept of structured fines -- setting a fine amount through a process that takes into account both the seriousness of the offense and the financial circumstances of the offender -- is viable in Oregon, based on the findings of this study. To make structured fines work effectively, attention must be given to several factors. The most serious of these is that the State's current laws regarding payment of fines and fees have the effect of imposing a relatively high "floor" of mandatory payments on virtually every defendant. 23 notes