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Living with Conviction

Seattle, United States
Joined July 2019

We leverage multimedia storytelling and legal empowerment strategies to advocate for an end to courts' imposition of onerous legal financial obligations at the time of sentencing.



Presence in: United States
Focus: Criminal Justice

Living with Conviction: Sentenced to Debt for Life in Washington State confronts how the State of Washington sentences people to not just prison but to a lifetime of debt. In partnership with formerly incarcerated individuals, we leverage multimedia storytelling and legal empowerment strategies to advocate for an end to onerous court-imposed costs, fees, fines, and victim restitution, aka “legal financial obligations” (LFOs). Until recently, LFOs have been accruing interest at 12%, which means that by the time a person gets out of prison, the total amount has increased substantially. The first monthly LFO payment is due within 30 days of release and failure to pay even once can result in arrest. And yet for the 7,000 to 8,000 individuals re-entering our communities every year following incarceration, such debt is physically, mentally, emotionally, and financially crushing. Washington State’s LFO policy disproportionately impacts the State’s poor and people of color, perpetuating the cycle of poverty.