Past Due

Past Due investigates a significant, widespread matter of injustice in New Orleans and throughout the country: the routine imposition of financial bail and sentencing fines and fees on mostly indigent criminal defendants. These practices come with hidden costs to defendants and taxpayers alike, from collections costs to jail time. We will measure the true costs of relying on “users” (defendants) to fund criminal justice agencies (judges, prosecutors, public defenders…) and develop recommendations for a just and sustainable funding structure.