Caroline Cohn

The Project

Caroline (she/her/hers) used consumer protection laws to advocate on behalf of low-income individuals affected by the criminal legal system through direct representation, education, and policy reform.

Fines, fees, and criminal justice debt exacerbate the harms of involvement with the criminal legal system. Courts impose monetary sanctions for the vast majority of criminal convictions, which, even for minor offenses, can amount to thousands of dollars due to late fees and interest. Individuals and their families are also preyed upon by private actors who profit off of the criminal legal system, including bail agents, prison telecommunications providers, and criminal background screening companies, many of which perform background checks inaccurately or unlawfully. These harmful practices disproportionately impact people of color and impede individuals’ abilities to secure housing, obtain employment, and build wealth.

Caroline was motivated to join the National Consumer Law Center’s team as a Fellow so that she could harness consumer law as one means of addressing the deep and varied harms propagated by the criminal legal system.

Fellowship Highlights

During the two-year Fellowship, Caroline:

• Used consumer law to advocate on behalf of low-income individuals harmed by the criminal legal system
• Represented individuals who were injured by criminal background screening companies that unlawfully reported their criminal records to prospective landlords and employers
• Developed litigation materials to help legal services providers more effectively advocate on behalf of clients with these kinds of claims
• Advocated for policy reform
• Produced a report on fines and fees associated with alternative forms of punishment, such as electronic monitoring

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