Revenue from juvenile fines and fees accounts for less than one percent of the Kansas judicial branch budget and is not critical to funding court operations.
Kansas imposes a wide range of fines and fees on youth at nearly every point in the legal process. Using data from court records, state and county financial reports, previous research studies, and testimonies from individuals who were system-impacted during their youths, Kansas Appleseed and the Juvenile Law Center examined youth fees and fines. Their findings show that these financial penalties are not fiscally practical and that jurisdictions already have surplus funding that exceeds the small amounts collected through youth fees and fines. The authors conclude that fees and fines assessed against youth are inefficient and costly, undermine public safety, and violate constitutional rights.
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Key Findings:
- In 2024, the entire state of Kansas assessed $394,000 in fees and collected about $345,000 in fees—much of which was from previous years.
- In Kansas, diversion program fees act as a gatekeeper; youth who are unable to pay are refused access to diversion programs.
- In 2023, Kansas courts collected far more in attorney fee reimbursements than they actually spent (14 percent of the revenue from attorney fees), highlighting the minimal revenue that these collections generate across the state’s judicial districts.
- From fiscal year 2022 to 2024, revenue from fees collected by counties and judicial districts was unstable and fluctuated significantly each year.
- Unpaid fines and fees can result in civil judgments, which can lead to wage garnishments, damaged credit, and long-term financial instability into adulthood.
- Black and Indigenous youth are detained and impacted by juvenile fines and fees at significantly higher rates than white youth, exacerbating racial inequities.