Bill > S2504

This bill, "Fine Time Massachusetts: Judges, Poor People, and Debtors’ Prison in the 21st Century," proposes changes to how Massachusetts handles court-ordered fines, fees, and costs for individuals who cannot afford to pay them, aiming to prevent what is effectively a modern form of debtors' prison. The bill highlights that many people are incarcerated not for the original offenses that brought them to court, but for failing to pay accumulating financial obligations, which can include fines, court costs, and fees for services like court-appointed attorneys. The proposed changes include doubling the daily credit for time served in jail to work off debt (from $30 to $60 per day), mandating that judges offer legal representation free of charge in cases where incarceration for non-payment is a possibility, and requiring judges to thoroughly investigate a defendant's inability to pay before ordering jail time, rather than assuming willful neglect. It also calls for the Legislature to phase out excessive fines and fees and to explore alternative funding sources for the court system, while encouraging judges to offer alternatives to incarceration, such as community service or rehabilitative programs, and to provide clear advance notice to defendants that failure to pay could lead to jail time.