NCJ Number
110881
Date Published
1987
Length
84 pages
Annotation
A mailed questionnaire was used to survey 319 British court clerks regarding the actions taken and methods available to enforce the payment of fines in England and Wales during June and July 1984.
Abstract
The survey received virtually full responses from 206 clerks and partial responses from 9 others. They both answered questions and provided the forms used in their area to establish an offender's financial status. Fines were imposed on nearly 200,000 defendants during the study period. Of these, very few were imprisoned, had earnings attached, or received supervision orders regarding money payment. More than 2,000 distress warrants were issued, however. The courts were generally successful in collecting fines, although success varied widely from one court to another. Details regarding enforcement procedures, the use of means inquiries, data tables, 17 references, and appended forms, information on study methodology, and study instrument.