Criminal Justice Dissertation Ideas

[dfrecore]

Not sure if this is "CJ" related, but it's something I question. As more and more municipalities have budget shortfalls, how many use the police to make up that shortfall, with more and more fines and fees for things? For instance, getting a ticket here in CA will run you a couple hundred bucks for the actual "crime." But then, with the "court paperwork fee" and the "we used our cop car so now you owe him 15 minutes for his time and $3 for gas fee", the price doubles or even triples, to somewhere between $600-$1000. It's beyond ridiculous.

This has been getting worse and worse over the years, but it did also come out in Ferguson. Many poor and minority communities feel that they are singled out - people who have lots of money can just pay the fee, but people who don't are just crushed by the costs.

Just a thought. Not sure if it's what you're looking for, but an interesting topic: what percentage of budget comes from fees/fines, and what percentage was it 20 or 40 or 60 years ago?

Good luck with your dissertation!