Research Archives - Page 7 of 48 - Fines and Fees Justice Center

Eliminating Wisconsin’s Driver’s License Suspension Policy for Failure to Pay Forfeitures: A Cost-Benefit Analysis

In Wisconsin, driver’s licenses are suspended for failure to pay legal financial obligations. This report highlights the negative economic ramifications of this policy, particularly for low-income drivers. To provide an …

Fines, Fees, and Families: Monetary Sanctions As Stigmatized Intergenerational Exchange

The impacts of monetary sanctions extend far beyond those directly receiving them, often burdening families and entire communities. But unlike the well-documented effects of incarceration, the intergenerational consequences of court-imposed …

Locked In, Priced Out

Prison commissaries nationwide are inconsistent in their pricing. The Appeal underwent a nine-month investigation to collect commissary prices and markups from 46 states and created the first national database of …

In Debt Due to Your Own Arrest? The Truth About Fines & Fees

NowThis, in collaboration with Galaxy Gives and Reform Alliance, created a short video detailing how Americans face criminal justice debt. Americans face millions of dollars of debt each year from …

Priced Out: A 50-State Survey of How Diversion Fees Create Unequal Justice

The Fines and Fees Justice Center examined legislative authorization and statewide court rules in all 50 states and the District of Columbia to determine whether statutory provisions explicitly authorize or permit diversion program fees and, if so, whether they establish guidance or limits on what may be charged.

Providing Labor Market Context For Debt-Related Driver’s License Suspensions In Ohio

Debt-related suspensions (DRS) are the most common reason for driver’s license suspension in Ohio. As the need for a valid driver’s license increases as a condition of employment across all …

If You Can’t Afford an Attorney, One Will Be Appointed. And You May Get a Huge Bill

Although the majority of states try to recoup counsel fees for indigent defenders, Iowa charges some of the highest fees. Even in cases where individuals are acquitted, or charges are …

Penalizing the Poor: An Assessment of the Administration of Fines and Fees in Florida Misdemeanor Courts

Florida courts’ fine and fee procedures punish people for being poor. In 2018, the American Bar Association (ABA) developed guidance on fairly administering court fines and fees to ensure people …

Prison disciplinary fines only further impoverish incarcerated people and families

At least one third of prison systems in the United States charge fines as punishment for a rule violation. The issuance of fines and fees for rules violations do not …

Washtenaw County Fines and Fees Justice Report

In August of 2022, Washtenaw County was selected to participate in the Cities and Counties for Fines and Fees Justice (CCFFJ) cohort led by the Fines and Fees Justice Center, …