Fees are usually attached to every traffic ticket or criminal charge in the state of New York.
Advocates say these surcharges on top of the conviction are criminalizing the poor.
Fines and fees are used to pay for DNA bank fees, crime victim assistance fees, and other fees the state needs to cover.
A bill has been proposed that would repeal the mandatory minimums and assess a person’s ability to pay the fee before being charges. It would also end charging fees for incarcerated people.
The bill is in its early stages, currently in front of the Senate’s Codes and Crime Victims, Crime, and Corrections Committees. If it advances through the committees then it may be voted on by the Senate.
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