Bridging the Gap
When someone drives over one of the Bay Area’s toll bridges, they are charged $6 and sent an invoice. If the toll is not paid promptly, drivers are charged a …
Eliminating fees in the Alameda County juvenile justice system meaningfully reduced financial burdens on families
Parents and families are typically responsible for the financial responsibilities imposed on minors by the juvenile justice system. In 2018, California became the first state to repeal administrative fees in …
Parking fines no longer pay the city’s bills
The city of Los Angeles’ traffic enforcement division use to generate $20 million of net income. For the past five years, fines from parking tickets generated over $617 million for …
Cato’s Project on Poverty and Inequality in California: Final Report
California has the largest economy of any state and a gross domestic product of almost $3 trillion. However, before the pandemic, 17.2 percent of the state population lived below the …
Discounts for People Experiencing Homelessness in San Francisco
The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) is offering discounts on citations and fees for people experiencing homelessness. Discounts include a one-time waiver of all open parking citations, removal of …
Effect of Juvenile Justice Fee Repeal on Financial Sanctions Borne by Families
As momentum for reforming the monetary justice system has grown, juvenile justice advocates have called for the abolition of monetary sanctions. However, previous research has not examined the financial impact …
California AB 177: Public safety
The California Legislature introduced AB 177 which would end the collection of an additional 17 administrative fees charged to people who come into contact with the criminal system. The bill …
San Francisco’s Financial Justice Project: Reducing the burden of fines and fees on San Franciscans with low incomes
San Francisco’s cost of living has drastically risen over the past decade, and 47 percent of San Franciscans are financially insecure. To address harmful fines and fees practices, San Francisco …
More Harm than Good: Building a more Just Fine and Fee System in California
Fines and fees push many low-income, Black, and Latinx California families into debt, cutting into their ability to meet basic needs. Researchers estimate that there is at least $10 billion …
Reducing Fines and Fees for Low-Income Drivers: Improving California’s Online Ability-to-Pay System
To address the inequitable assessment of fines and fees by traffic courts, the Judicial Council of California piloted the use of MyCitations. MyCitations allows drivers to request a reduced fine …