Federal
Stimulus Bill: Prohibits state or local governments from intercepting the $1,200 recovery checks and using them to pay for outstanding fines and fees.
The number of people struggling to find work, feed their families, and pay off court debt has increased by 8 million since the pandemic began.
U.S. city, state, and local governments should be taking immediate action to lessen the harms of COVID-19 on these communities. Instead, many have chosen to scale up fines and fees policies that trap people in a cycle of poverty and debt, while extracting wealth out of local economies.
Here are some of the worst offenders:
New York City’s 2020-21 budget includes a ticket blitz that’s expected to cost motorists some $42 million in the coming months.The NYPD will reassign 75 workers in its Traffic Enforcement Division to ticket-writing duties to counter the fiscal effects of the coronavirus crisis.
When governments use predatory fines and fees to raise money, the result is a disproportionate tax on those who can least afford it. Learn more about No Price on Justice, New York’s campaign to eliminate predatory fees.
Chicago is hoping to help balance its 2021 budget from speeding tickets and other violations, including issuing speeding tickets to drivers going 6 miles per hour over the posted limit instead of the current 11.
In Chicago, a single ticket can cause an inescapable downward spiral for a low-income person. Read more about the disproportionate amount of debt that burdens Chicago’s Black communities.
Georgia signed a bill into law that increases fines and fees to add jail officers and provide additional funding for the police retirement fund.
When law enforcement is funded through the imposition of fines and fees, policing practices become less focused on ensuring public safety and more focused on raising revenue — endangering low-income people and people of color. Read this national study which shows how Black and Hispanic arrests and property seizures increase with local deficits when institutions allow officials to more easily retain revenues from forfeited property.
Orange County officials tripled the fee charged to most people whose cars are impounded by police for unpaid fines and fees.
Towing cars to coerce payment is counterproductive. If people can’t afford to pay a parking ticket, how can they possibly afford a $144 impound fee? Without a car, people can’t get to work to earn money to pay the fine or fee.
Read more about the impact of towing for nonpayment of fines and fees and recommendations to improve the system.
Nevada County: The Board of Supervisors has created new code violations to generate additional revenue.
Increasingly, fines and penalties are being used to fill budget shortfalls, spiraling into huge debts, which can result in incarceration for those unable to pay. Learn more about the shift to this system of municipal fines, the effects on poor communities and communities of color, and recommendations for reform, such as removing low-level crime from municipal codes.
Montgomery adopted a policy that allows judges of the Court of Common Pleas to exercise arbitrary discretion to impose duplicative costs resulting in the assessment of various costs and fees for each individual charge, rather than once per case as the law allows.
Read New York’s Ferguson Problem for more on how fees create a cycle of punishment and poverty, disproportionately impacting communities of color who are overrepresented in traffic stops, arrests, and conviction rates.
The Gates Mills Village Council passed an ordinance increasing the fines for all waive-able traffic offenses, including speeding, to cover administrative costs.
Read about the passage of a motion to eliminate criminal system administrative fees as a part of the county’s efforts to reduce the detrimental impacts of fines and fees on individuals in Los Angeles.
The Maryland legislature introduced a bill requiring the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) to suspend the driver’s license and registration of all vehicles in a person’s name if they fail to pay a money judgement from a motor vehicle insurer.
Read the American Legislative Exchange Council’s resolution encouraging state legislators to limit driver’s license suspension policies to conduct that involves dangerous driving. Join FFJC’s Free to Drive campaign to debt based driver’s license suspensions.
In response the COVID-19 crisis, many jurisdictions have taken positive, first steps to reduce the harms of fines and fees, including discharging outstanding debts, repealing criminal legal fees and ending the cruel practice of suspending driver’s licenses on the basis of unpaid debt. These fines and fees reforms have and will continue to benefit millions of people around the nation — especially in low-income communities and communities of color.
Here are some of the most significant state and local reforms that have been enacted since the beginning of COVID-19 pandemic:
California discharged and ended the collection of all outstanding juvenile fees and repealed 23 criminal legal system fees including those for administering probation and mandatory supervision, processing arrests and citations, home detention programs, electronic monitoring programs, work furlough programs, and work release programs.
Read this report on Fines and Monetary Sanctions by FFJC Advisory Board Member Alexes Harris on how criminal legal system fees worsen social inequality, cause undue hardship and prolong system involvement.
In an emergency session to address the COVID-19 crisis, Oregon passed a bill to end driver’s license suspensions for unpaid fines and fees.
Read more about how debt-related driver’s license suspensions make everyday life impossible. See all the states that have ended the practice of debt-based driver’s license suspensions.
Michigan removed barriers to reentry by signing the nation’s most expansive Clean Slate bill into law. This bill ensures that automatic record expungement is no longer contingent on the payment of fines & fees.
Read more about “user fees” in the criminal justice system and how they hinder the success of individuals reentering society after incarceration.
Seattle Municipal Court judges voted to eliminate all discretionary fines and fees imposed in criminal cases including the probation supervision fee, records check fee, work crew fee, and community service setup fee.
These changes are expected to benefit over 1,000 individuals per year. Read more about how monetary sanctions in Seattle affect Black and Brown residents at dramatically higher rates compared to their white residents.
Maine vacated warrants for unpaid fines, restitution, court-appointed counsel fees, failure to appear for unpaid fine or fee hearings.
This policy reform gives over 12,000 Maine residents the freedom to live their lives without worrying they will be arrested or jailed because they can’t afford to pay fines and fees. Learn more about the devastating impact of debt-based arrest warrants in this short documentary about two women who were continually jailed (one over 19 times) because they couldn’t afford to pay fines and fees.
The Dane County Board canceled all of the existing juvenile justice debt and discontinued the collection of shelter home fees and social worker supervision program fees. The county also previously eliminated fees for individuals who participate in deferred prosecution and first-offender programs.
The assessment of juvenile justice debt undermines the rehabilitative purpose of the juvenile system. Read more about how the practice of assessing and collecting fees from families with youth in the California juvenile justice system perpetuates racial wealth disparities, often violates California state law, and can be costly to collect.
Governor Newsom proposed a budget packet that includes an allocation of $54.8 million over the next 5 years to backfill the loss of fine and fee revenue from ability to pay assessments for traffic and other infractions, moving the state away from its reliance on fine and fee revenue to fund its courts.
Fines and fees are inequitable and unreliable sources of funding. Read about how the pandemic has exposed pre-existing issues concerning the use of fine and fee revenue in North Carolina.
Use the the tracker below to see what fines and fees reforms your state and local government have enacted in response to COVID-19. Enter a state name in the search bar to view that state’s city, county and statewide reforms.
Stimulus Bill: Prohibits state or local governments from intercepting the $1,200 recovery checks and using them to pay for outstanding fines and fees.
Governor Newsom proposed a budget packet that includes an allocation of $54.8 million over the next 5 years to backfill the loss of fine and fee revenue from ability to pay assessments for traffic and other infractions, moving the state away from its reliance on fine and fee revenue to fund its courts.
Policy: Orange County officials tripled the fee charged to most people whose cars are impounded by police for unpaid fines and fees.
Why it doesn’t work: Towing cars to coerce payment is counterproductive. If people can’t afford to pay a parking ticket, how can they possibly afford a $144 impound fee? Without a car, people can’t get to work to earn money to pay the fine or fee. Read more about the impact of towing for nonpayment of fines and fees and recommendations to improve the system.
Policy: Nevada County: The Board of Supervisors has created new code violations to generate additional revenue.
Why it doesn’t work: Increasingly, fines and penalties are being used to fill budget shortfalls, spiraling into huge debts, which can result in incarceration for those unable to pay.
Learn more about the shift to this system of municipal fines, the effects on poor communities and communities of color, and recommendations for reform, such as removing low-level crime from municipal codes.
California discharged and ended the collection of all outstanding juvenile fees and repealed 23 criminal legal system fees including those for administering probation and mandatory supervision, processing arrests and citations, home detention programs, electronic monitoring programs, work furlough programs, and work release programs.
Read this report on Fines and Monetary Sanctions by FFJC Advisory Board Member Alexes Harris on how criminal legal system fees worsen social inequality, cause undue hardship and prolong system involvement.
The Department of Correction is offering two free phone calls per week and suspending co-pay obligations associated with medical services. DOC will also provide people at every facility with antiseptic to clean telephones between uses, two bars of soap each week, two cloth masks that can be traded in for cleaning or replaced if damaged, and antiseptic to clean living areas twice a week.
The DOC is providing each resident with a new bar of soap every week, free of charge and two free 5-minute phone calls per week.
Hall of Shame Policy: Georgia signed a bill into law that increases fines and fees to add jail officers and provide additional funding for the police retirement fund.
Why it doesn’t work: When law enforcement is funded through the imposition of fines and fees, policing practices become less focused on ensuring public safety and more focused on raising revenue — endangering low-income people and people of color. Read this national study which shows how Black and Hispanic arrests and property seizures increase with local deficits when institutions allow officials to more easily retain revenues from forfeited property.
Hall of Shame Policy: Chicago is hoping to help balance its 2021 budget from speeding tickets and other violations, including issuing speeding tickets to drivers going 6 miles per hour over the posted limit instead of the current 11.
Why it doesn’t work: In Chicago, a single ticket can cause an inescapable downward spiral for a low-income person. Read more about the disproportionate amount of debt that burdens Chicago’s Black communities.
Eliminated the $2 primary visit fee for incarcerated people making a first (primary) visit to the on-site medical team to report possible COVID-19 symptoms. The Kansas DOC is also offering two free 15-minute phone calls and three free 30-minute video calls per week to people behind bars until in-person visitation restrictions are lifted.
Maine vacated warrants for unpaid fines, restitution, court-appointed counsel fees, failure to appear for unpaid fine or fee hearings. This policy reform gives over 12,000 Maine residents the freedom to live their lives without worrying they will be arrested or jailed because they can’t afford to pay fines and fees. Learn more about the devastating impact of debt-based arrest warrants in this short documentary about two women who were continually jailed (one over 19 times) because they couldn’t afford to pay fines and fees.
The Maryland legislature introduced a bill requiring the Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) to suspend the driver’s license and registration of all vehicles in a person’s name if they fail to pay a money judgement from a motor vehicle insurer.
Michigan removed barriers to reentry by signing the nation’s most expansive Clean Slate bill into law. This bill ensures that automatic record expungement is no longer contingent on the payment of fines & fees. Read more about “user fees” in the criminal justice system and how they hinder the success of individuals reentering society after incarceration.
Incarcerated people will receive up to two free 10-minute phone calls each week to help people stay in contact with family and friends while visits are suspended.
All incarcerated persons receive 2 free phone calls per week, masks and soap.
New York City’s 2020-21 budget includes a ticket blitz that’s expected to cost motorists some $42 million in the coming months.The NYPD will reassign 75 workers in its Traffic Enforcement Division to ticket-writing duties to counter the fiscal effects of the coronavirus crisis. When governments use predatory fines and fees to raise money, the result is a disproportionate tax on those who can least afford it.
Cuyahoga County, Ohio: The Gates Mills Village Council passed an ordinance increasing the fines for all waive-able traffic offenses, including speeding, to cover administrative costs.
In an emergency session to address the COVID-19 crisis, Oregon passed a bill to end driver’s license suspensions for unpaid fines and fees. Read more about how debt-related driver’s license suspensions make everyday life impossible. See all the states that have ended the practice of debt-based driver’s license suspensions.
The county adopted a policy that allows judges of the Court of Common Pleas to exercise arbitrary discretion to impose duplicative costs resulting in the assessment of various costs and fees for each individual charge, rather than once per case as the law allows.
Each incarcerated person is receiving free masks, 1 free phone call and 1 free video visit. The Department of Corrections has also waived medical co-pays.
Seattle Municipal Court judges voted to eliminate all discretionary fines and fees imposed in criminal cases including the probation supervision fee, records check fee, work crew fee, and community service setup fee. These changes are expected to benefit over 1,000 individuals per year. Read more about how monetary sanctions in Seattle affect Black and Brown residents at dramatically higher rates compared to their white residents.
Each person in the care of the Department of Corrections will receive a free pre-embossed stamped envelope on a bi-weekly basis and 5 free emails per week. The Department is also issuing four (4) disposable ear loop masks and suspending medical co-pays.
The Dane County Board canceled all of the existing juvenile justice debt and discontinued the collection of shelter home fees and social worker supervision program fees. The county also previously eliminated fees for individuals who participate in deferred prosecution and first-offender programs.