Tell your senator: Stop punishing the poor for their poverty!

OLYMPIA (March 2, 2016) — A bill to reform our state’s broken system for collecting court-imposed fees, fines, and restitution has unanimously passed the House. Currently, the state imposes crushing debts on poor people with charges that accrue at 12 percent annual interest, even when incarcerated. Those who cannot afford to pay are sometimes locked up, creating costly modern-day debtors’ prisons. Furthermore, many courts take their share of any payments before crime victims receive any restitution. Tell your Senator to reform this unfair system!

TAKE A STAND!  Senators in Olympia need to hear from you! Click here to send an email to your State Senator urging him or her to vote on HB 1390 and to vote YES. Right now, less than half of restitution is collected by victims. HB 1390 reforms this ineffective system to promote the successful re-entry of people who have committed crimes and enables them to become productive citizens who will pay victims’ restitution.

HB 1390 is supported by dozens of groups representing unions, community, legal, faith, social and racial justice. Every State Representative from both parties voted YES on it, and HB 1390 has now passed two different Senate committees. But it has only until Friday, March 4 to pass the full Senate, or it will die — as it did last year — due to inaction. Don’t let that happen! Send this email TODAY urging a vote on HB 1390 and your Senator’s support of this important legislation!

Send your email TODAY!