NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — They served their time, but in many cases, they're not done paying.
NewsChannel 5 is taking a deeper look at the thousands of dollars former inmates often have to pay when they're released, including court and jail fees.
Tennessee law allows the state to suspend the driver's licenses of former inmates when they don't pay.
But a new report from the nonpartisan group ThinkTennessee says suspending the driver's licenses of people trying to get back on the right track doesn't get those fees paid back any quicker.
"Hopefully this report would help change that narrative," said Erin Hafkenschiel with ThinkTennessee. "We can think, 'it's probably a good idea to get rid of this policy.'"
The ThinkTennessee report also highlights other fees that rarely end up getting paid, like indigency fees — charged to people behind bars when they're given a court-appointed attorney when they already can't pay for an attorney of their own.
