Court Clerks

• In FY17, Court Clerks assessed $470.4M and collected $291.0M in fines and fees.
• Court assessments between FY16 and FY17 decreased by $16.0M.
• Collections by Court Clerks between FY16 and FY17 increased by $6.8M.

Commonwealth’s Attorneys

• In FY17, total assessments(*1) of delinquent fines and fees were $201.5M.
• Assessments of delinquent restitution amounts sent to collections were $35.0M.
• Net assessments(*2) of delinquent fines and fees were $181.0M.
• Net assessments(*2) of delinquent fines and fees between FY16 and FY17 increased by $35.2M.
• Total collections(*3) of delinquent fines and fees by Commonwealth’s Attorneys were $77.7M.
• Restitution collections in FY17 totaled $6.0M, and collections of fee offset amounts totaled $7.2M.
• Net collections(*4) by Commonwealth’s Attorneys in FY17 were $75.5M.
• Net collections(*4) by Commonwealth’s Attorneys between FY16 and FY17 increased by $1.6M.

(*1) Total assessments exclude restitution, but include an assessed amount to offset collections fees as of FY14.
(*2) Net assessments include restitution assessments as of FY14.
(*3) Total collections exclude both restitution and offset fee amounts collected.
(*4) Net collections include restitution collections and offset fee amounts collected as of FY14, and deduct collection fees.

Trend Data for Assessments and Collections

Court Clerks

• Court assessments were:

• $281.5M in FY98;
• $461.2M in FY12; and
• $470.4M in FY17.

• Court collections were:

• $192.2M in FY98;
• $331.9M in FY12; and
• $291.0M in FY17.

Commonwealth’s Attorneys

• Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ net assessments(*1) were:

• $95.5M in FY98;
• $108.5M in FY12; and
• $181.0M in FY17.

• Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ total collections(*2) were:

• $29.2M in FY98;
• $59.2M in FY12; and
• $77.7M in FY17.

• Commonwealth’s Attorneys’ net collections(*3) were:

• $23.0M in FY98;
• $46.6M in FY12; and
• $75.5M in FY17.

(*1) Net assessments include restitution assessments for FY17, but not FY98 or FY12.
(*2) Total collections exclude both restitution and offset fee amounts collected for all years.
(*3) Net collections include restitution collections and offset fee amounts collected for FY17, but not FY98 or FY12. Net collections deduct collection fees for all years.

Collection Agents

• In FY17, Commonwealth’s Attorneys contracted with eleven private collection agents, six localities and one state agency for the collection of delinquent fines and fees.
• Collection fee percentages ranged from 17 percent to 35 percent.
• There were seven changes in collection methods in FY17:

LOCALITY: AMHERST
FY16 COLLECTION METHOD: Taxation
FY17 COLLECTINO METHOD: In-House Program

LOCALITY: BUCHANAN
FY16 COLLECTION METHOD: Taxation
FY17 COLLECTINO METHOD: Taxing Authority Consulting Services

LOCALITY: CHESTERFIELD
FY16 COLLECTION METHOD: Poole Brooke Plumlee (General District Court)
FY17 COLLECTINO METHOD: Taxation (General District Court)

LOCALITY: ESSEX
FY16 COLLECTION METHOD: Poole Brooke Plumlee
FY17 COLLECTINO METHOD: Godwin-Jones & Price

LOCALITY: GREENE
FY16 COLLECTION METHOD: In-House Program
FY17 COLLECTINO METHOD: Taxation

LOCALITY: HENRY
FY16 COLLECTION METHOD: Taxation (Circuit Court)
FY17 COLLECTINO METHOD: Taxing Authority Consulting Services (Circuit Court)

LOCALITY: LEE
FY16 COLLECTION METHOD: Taxation
FY17 COLLECTINO METHOD: In-House Program

In-House Collection Programs

• In FY17, fifteen Commonwealth’s Attorneys collected delinquent fines and fees in-house.
• Collection fee percentages ranged from 30 percent to 35 percent.