Project dates: September 2025 - May 2030
Principal Investigator: Silver D
This research will generate causal evidence of the impacts of monetary sanctions imposed by the criminal legal system on substance use outcomes by evaluating a policy in New Mexico (HB-139) which eliminated all court fees in 2024.
Using a multidisciplinary approach, the study will generate a detailed legal dataset of court fee policies across the country, quantitative data of policy impacts on overdose fatalities, court debt and drug court involvement, and qualitative data examining contextual facilitators and obstacles to policy adoption and implementation among key stakeholders.
Findings will inform state level policymakers seeking policy options to mitigate the effects of criminal justice involvement on the health and recovery of people who use drugs in the United States.
Abstract on NIH RePORTER