UCLA Criminal Justice Law Review
The UCLA Criminal Justice Law Review (CJLR) has partnered with the Criminal Justice Policy Program at Harvard Law School to publish works from the Progressing Reform of Fees and Fines …
Financial Policies for Imposed Fines, Fees, and Asset Forfeitures: The Basis for Building Trust with the Public and Fair Treatment of All Citizens
Many local governments rely on imposed fines, fees, and forfeitures to raise revenue without a financial policy. Doing so can reduce citizens’ trust in government, have a disproportionate impact on …
The High Costs of “Justice”: A Snapshot of Juvenile Court Fines and Fees in Michigan
Through information collected from counties, advocates, community members and court involved families, the National Center for Youth Law published this brief summarizing the impact of juvenile court fines and fees …
Oregon House Bill 4210: An act relating to driving privileges
This bill ends Oregon’s practice of suspending driver licenses for nonpayment of traffic tickets. The provisions of this bill are effective beginning October 1, 2020. You can read the full …
Probation and Monetary Sanctions in Georgia: Evidence from a Multi-Method Study
This article analyzes how monetary sanctions and probation supervision intersect in Georgia. Using data and interviews, gathered between 2015 and 2018, the authors find substantial variation between jurisdictions in the …
Court Costs, Fines, And Fees Are Bad Policy- Recommendations For Illinois Legislators
This policy brief discusses the history and issues of court fines and fees nationally and specifically in Illinois.
Paying on Probation: How Financial Sanctions Intersect with Probation to Target, Trap, and Punish People Who Cannot Pay
This report shows how payment of fines and fees and supervision costs can affect a person's ability to complete their probation sentence.
Privatization of Services in the Criminal Justice System
Privatization throughout the justice system has exacerbated the cycle of mandatory fees, nonpayment, and consequent additional fees. Private companies, often with little to no oversight, can have economic incentives to …
Day Fines Systems: Lessons from Global Practice
Many European countries use day fines as an alternative to short-term incarceration. With day fines, fines are proportional to a defendant’s income, allowing for higher fines for wealthy offenders and …
COVID-19 Crisis: FFJC Policy Recommendations and Policy Tracker
FFJC has released a set of policy recommendations to help stem the harms of this ongoing public health and economic crisis. This page also tracks state and local fines and fees reform efforts undertaken in response to coronavirus.