Hillsman emphasizes that the efficacy of fines as a criminal penalty depends upon the ability of government to collect the fine, to do so expeditiously, and to compel payment if an offender defaults. There are two related reasons that systematic information about American jurisdictions' performance in collecting and enforcing criminal fines is not readily available at the Federal, State, or local level. First, despite the widespread use of criminal fines, administrative responsibility for collection and enforcement is typically fragmented within and across a variety of governmental agencies, including the courts, prosecutors, police, and other official agencies. Second, these agencies do a poor job of compiling and using management information about criminal fine collection. Hillsman reports on a study of criminal fine use and collection being conducted by the Vera Institute of Justice and the Institute for Court Management. She emphasizes that workable strategies exist to improve collection practices, including setting fines properly, establishing clear collection procedures that encourage prompt payment, and using sanctions effectively. She concludes that careful attention to providing additional statutory regulation of collection procedures, clarifying lines of responsibility, and introducing some new types of authority will improve Federal collection practices. Four references are included.