Fines and fees affect more people than any other issue in the criminal justice system.
Over the last decade, 1 in 3 people in the United States have been impacted by fine and fee debt. In fact, nearly every interaction a person has with the justice system, regardless of guilt or innocence, comes with a bill. These bills come in countless forms — traffic tickets, fees for “free” public defenders, and even fees to pay your prosecutors.
The Fines and Fees Justice Center (FFJC) works to make the criminal justice system more fair and just for all by ending governments’ policies of using fines and fees to profit off the most vulnerable.
We empower state and local efforts to end justice fees and ensure that where fines exist they are fair and equitably imposed. We pursue a comprehensive approach using expertise, action, communications, and the creation of blueprints which state and local advocates can use to pursue reform in their communities
When we started this organization we could not have predicted the breadth and pace of fines and fees reform that would unfold.
When FFJC was founded in 2018, most states suspended drivers’ licenses for unpaid fines and fees. Today, more than half have ended or reduced debt-based suspensions. With our partners, we’ve helped eliminate justice fees in half the country, achieved 80+ legislative wins, published two dozen reports, and joined 300+ organizations to advance this national reform movement. Together, our work has kept billions of dollars in communities that need resources the most.
Contact Us
Have you been impacted by fines and fees? Are you a legislator, advocate or organizer interested in joining our state and national campaigns, or learning more about our work? Get in touch with us by clicking the link below!
Latest Updates
FFJC Appoints Priya Sarathy Jones as Co-Executive Director
