Philadelphia’s criminal justice fines and fees fall hardest on poorest neighborhoods

New research maps where legal financial obligations are concentrated – and finds they overlap with poverty, violence and racial inequality.

By: Jordan Hyatt, Drexel University; C. Clare Strange, and Nathan Link, Rutgers University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: July 22, 2026

Words: 1,168

Last Updated: 4 weeks ago

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By Jordan Hyatt, Drexel University; C. Clare Strange, and Nathan Link, Rutgers University

When people think about criminal justice punishment, they might picture a prison cell or a crew picking up roadside trash to fulfill community service hours.

But for millions of Americans, another penalty quietly follows them for years after they have served their time: debt.

Known as legal financial obligations, or criminal justice debt, these penalties encompass a range of economic sanctions. …

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