Probation Officer Viewpoints on the Assessment, Collection, and Enforcement of Fees

Abstract

Monetary sanctions exist in every part of the criminal legal system, including community corrections. Fines, fees, restitution, surcharges, and other court costs are included as monetary sanctions. Prior research has highlighted the types of monetary sanctions, their correctional goals, and the effects of monetary sanctions on individuals paying them. For fees, Texas relies on them for partial support of their probation departments’ operations. In this study, we focus on two probation jurisdictions in Texas to explore officers’ attitudes and beliefs around monetary sanctions. Specifically, we use survey data to examine officers’ belief in fairness around fees assessment and their views on the collection and enforcement of fees. The findings find overall support among the officers for fees within probation. Sixty-one percent of the surveyed officers believed asking clients to pay fees was fair. Officers also had more punitive attitudes around collections and thought that consequences were appropriate responses to late or nonpayment of fees. This study provides insight into how officers view monetary sanctions and how these views might shape enforcement.