Harris and Martin Co-Author Study on Logics of Monetary Sanctions

Posted: 4/3/2025 ()

Monetary sanctions (also referred to as legal financial obligations, or LFOs) are a common form of punishment in criminal convictions. Despite their prevalence, little research has examined how different court actors such as judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and clerks understand their use. In a recent study published in Criminology, CSDE Affiliates Alexes Harris (Sociology) and Karin Martin (Evans School) along with several co-authors present evidence from guided interviews with 447 court actors across eight states focused on this topic. Among other findings, the article presents evidence of competing – and sometimes conflicting – penal and fiscal explanations for the use of monetary sanctions. Read the full article here.