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Abstract: 

Much of current criminal justice policy is under fire: calls for reducing mass incarceration, charges of minority over-representation, reforming sentencing laws, and ending a corrupt bail bond system are all gaining widespread media attention and public interest. Simmering just below these issues is another: assessing and collecting “user fees” from individuals convicted of (and often simply charged with) a criminal offense. Jail and prison fees are a comparatively recent, but growing, phenomenon, and arose out of the reluctance of governments to fund essential operations by imposing or raising taxes. User fees for ignition interlock systems and electronic monitoring have a longer history and have faced less resistance, but even with these types of fees, there is the danger that offenders will be burdened by charges they cannot afford to pay, and that the debt loads they carry may make it more difficult for them to manage a successful re-entry. Linda Connelly founded and operates one of the most respected reentry service operations in the country, Leaders in Community Alternatives. LCA services are largely client-funded, and in this article she explains how her program assesses fees and balances rates with the client’s ability to pay, and why client-funded programs, when designed properly, can be effective, fair, and just. The article includes a sample “Electronic Monitoring Fee Assessment Procedure” to guide agencies in setting and administering a fee-based compliance program.

Keywords: Client-funded electronic monitoring; fee-based compliance programs; financial responsibility

Affiliations:  1: Leaders in Community Alternatives.