Research Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

Following the Money of Mass Incarceration 2026

Since 2017, the United States has more than doubled its spending on mass incarceration and criminalization, despite a decline in both incarceration rates and correctional staff. This new Prison Policy …

Heavy Burdens: The Weight of Juvenile Fees and Fines in the Keystone State

In Pennsylvania, youth involved in the juvenile justice system courts and their families may be held financially liable for costs related to formal adjustments, summons, warrants, and the cost of …

Findings From the Jefferson County Equitable Fines and Fees Project

Alabama is a low-tax,low-service state that relies on bonds, vice taxes, court fines, and fees to fund basic services and projects. This report presents findings from a multi-method study examining …

Fines, Fees, and Financial Strain: Challenges for State and Local Governments in a Time of Fiscal Uncertainty

Though utilized as a routine source of revenue for many state and local governments, increasing reliance on fines and fees to fill budget gaps and raise additional revenue as a …

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 …

Incarcerated as a child, reentering as an adult: The unique reentry experiences and needs of juvenile lifers

The Supreme Court decisions in Miller v. Alabama (2012) and Montgomery v. Louisiana (2016) resulted in the resentencing of individuals originally sentenced to mandatory life without parole as children. To …

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 …

Imposing Instability: How Court Fines and Fees Destabilize Government Budgets and Criminalize Those Who Cannot Pay

In a first-of-its-kind report, the Fines and Fees Justice Center looks at the amount of criminal, juvenile, municipal, and traffic fines and fees imposed by courts nationwide and compares those …

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 …