Paying More Than Money: Exploring the Reality of Legal Financial Obligations for Women in Georgia and Minnesota

The current study explores the role of legal financial obligations in the lives of women in Georgia and Minnesota. Using a feminist perspective, we investigate women’s lived experiences with owing criminal legal debt and the consequences that are accrued because of this debt. Through interviews with 50 women, the study reveals the profound impact of LFOs, underscoring the socio-economic and emotional strain these obligations impose. Women’s narratives illustrate a cycle of debt and fear of nonpayment sanctions, highlighting the pervasiveness of criminal legal debt in their everyday lives, including material hardship, continued legal impacts, and issues with family roles.