Virginia state auditors made 11 recommendations to step up fine collections, including:
– Judges and courts should encourage immediate payment of fines.
– Provide incentives to encourage court staff to collect fines promptly.
– Evaluate all cases to determine if someone can pay, and establish a payment plan if necessary.
– Send out past-due notices and bench warrants and notify credit agencies about delinquents.
– Establish and enforce collection goals for courts.
– Require those in prison to establish payment plans.
– Establish a procedure that removes uncollectable fines from the collection inventory.
– Consider establishing a special collection unit that would pursue delinquents.
Source: Virginia Auditor of Public Accounts
– Steve Contorno
