Poverty and Legal Statistics

Flashcards based on poverty and legal statistics.

The number of Americans living in poverty.

34 million

The highest income a single mother of one child can make to fall under federal poverty guidelines.

$17,420

Estimate of the number of people in the court system who qualify for a public defender.

80 percent

The number of misdemeanor cases in the U.S. per year.

13 million

Approximate amount of outstanding fines and fees owed to various courts in the U.S.

$50 billion

Amount of money one impoverished Missouri defendant owed the court after a year stay in jail stemming from a misdemeanor conviction for shoplifting an $8 tube of mascara.

$15,900

Amount court fines and fees have increased in North Carolina since the Great Recession.

400 percent