What are some common problems inhibiting collection of fines and costs?
On a fundamental level, courts that have failed to resolve issues of collection philosophy, community perception, and resource commitment will not make much progress in collection performance.On a more practical level, collection efforts suffer when courts fail to make a single position accountable for performance. Other common problems include: • Lack of management-reporting information for fine-collection programs • Lack of commitment by court leaders—judges and administrators • Excessive allowance of delayed or partial payments (commonly associated with misconceptions about offenders’ abilities to pay and a lack of rational policies governing court practices) • Failure to take quick and authoritative action in response to nonpayment.
