Glossary
What is Legal Financial Obligations (LFOs)?
Fines, fees, restitution and other charges a court attaches to a criminal case, which can follow a person after release.
Legal financial obligations, or LFOs, are the fines, fees and charges attached to a criminal conviction or citation. A 2023 brief from a U.S. Commission on Civil Rights advisory committee groups them into four types: fines, forfeitures, restitution to victims, and fees for court services.
Unpaid LFOs can grow with interest. The brief lists possible effects such as driver's license suspension, damage to credit, loss of public benefits and, in some cases, arrest warrants.
Some programs require payment while a person is still in custody. Minnesota's work release program, for example, requires participants to pay court-ordered restitution and fines.
Read more
- What Happens to Commissary Money When Someone Is Released?
- The Cost of Supporting a Loved One in Prison, and How to Stretch Your Budget