“The quickest way to drive people deeper into poverty is to take their car away,” says a fines and fees justice advocate in the short documentary, Road to Reform: New Mexico. In New Mexico, where public transportation is limited and rural distances are vast, a suspended license can mean lost jobs, court debt, and jail time, often for something as small as a missed hearing or unpaid ticket. This short documentary features the voices of New Mexicans who were criminalized for being poor, and the statewide movement-including community leaders, legislators, and advocates that came together to pass landmark bipartisan reform.
New Mexico
We are using the justice system to fund government on the backs of the poorest communities. - Joanna Weiss, Fines and Fees Justice Center
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In New Mexico, unpaid traffic fines could lead to suspended licenses, jail time, and an endless debt spiral until a coalition of directly impacted residents, advocates, and legislators worked together to pass sweeping bipartisan reform.
