Criminal fine enforcement in Israel: Administration, policy, evaluation and recommendations

Over the last three decades, the Israeli Criminal Justice System has begun to focus on the search for alternatives to imprisonment in order to reduce the number of prisoners, be it for economic reasons or in an attempt to find options for more appropriate punitive and rehabilitative methods. The criminal fine, one of the main alternatives to the prison sentence, combines a number of features that systematically conform to the demands of an intermediate sanction. Despite its advantages, none of the penal aims of the fine are achieved if it is not paid. An effective use of the criminal fine is based on an effective and efficient enforcement system. An attempt has been made in this article to explore and analyze the development and present administration of the Israeli Criminal Fine Enforcement System, qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate Israeli magistrates' attitudes and practices regarding the use of the criminal fine and introduce various improvements.