New to Clearinghouse Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

Equity In Enforcement Working Group: Report of Recommendation 2025

In January 2025, Chicago’s City Council passed a resolution establishing an Equity in Enforcement Working Group tasked with developing recommendations for moving Chicago toward a more equitable and effective system …

Hope after Harm: An Evaluation of State Victim Compensation Statutes

In 1984, Congress passed the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) which established the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) to provide financial support to state crime victim compensation programs and victim service …

The Hidden Cost of Compliance: Exploring How Fees Influence Correctional Interventions and Probation Outcomes

Intervention fees or programming fees for mandated services, such as drug testing and treatment, mental health services, class or program participation, community service, or electronic monitoring, are an obstacle to …

The Road to Debtors’ Probation: How Criminalizing Traffic Violations Increases State Control and Inequality in Georgia

In Georgia, nearly all traffic offenses are classified as misdemeanors, unlike most states that treat them as civil offenses. This study examines how Georgia’s practice of classifying almost all traffic …

The Hidden Web of Criminal Legal System Fines and Fees in Kentucky

Kentucky’s criminal legal system is made up of a complicated network of fines and fees that can be difficult to navigate and lead to devastating consequences for Kentuckians who are …

Ability to Pay and the Affordability of Fines and Fees

Using data from the Urban Institute’s 2024 Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey, the Tax Policy Center produced a factsheet examining the prevalence of ability to pay inquiries and affordability options. …

We Can’t Afford It: Mass Incarceration and The Family Tax

This mixed-methods report quantifies the financial costs incurred by families when a loved one is incarcerated. Drawing on a nationally representative survey of adults with an immediate family member incarcerated …

Silver Sanctions: Legal Financial Obligations in an Aging Population

Researchers have historically overlooked how aging populations experience non-carceral sanctions, such as fines and fees, within the criminal legal system. This study examines how aging (50–64) and older (65+) adults …

Paying for One’s Own Incarceration: National Landscape of Pay to Stay Fees

Pay-to-stay fees, also referred to as costs of incarceration, cost of care, cost of support, or room and board, are the costs charged to individuals for their incarceration. They may …

Statewide Court Appearance Project Final Report: Recommendations to Address Court Appearance Issues in North Carolina

Missing a court appearance can result in a myriad of consequences including jail booking and license revocations, and an increased strain on limited court and law enforcement resources. In this …