Minnesota Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

Diversion Without Debt: Case Studies from Three County Prosecutors Leading Fee Reform

Diversion programs offer an early off-ramp from the criminal legal system, providing accountability while reducing recidivism and enhancing public safety. However, the imposition of diversion program costs and fees undermines …

Locked In, Priced Out: How Prison Commissary Price-Gouging Preys on The Incarcerated

Prison commissaries nationwide are exploitative and inconsistent in their pricing. The Appeal underwent a nine-month investigation to collect commissary prices and markups from 46 states. People in prison make pennies …

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 …

Understanding the Landscape of Fines, Restitution, and Fees for Criminal Convictions in Minnesota

In Minnesota, being charged and convicted of a crime can lead to a number of consequences, including arrest, incarceration, or probation, in addition to the often less visible financial consequences. …

Predatory Fines and Fees: Revenue, Fiscal Contrition, and Policy Change

Some local jurisdictions are beginning to grapple with the social costs and individual harms associated with monetary sanctions and how they can become less reliant on them. This report clarifies …

Tyler v. Hennepin County, Minnesota, et al.

In a unanimous opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court holds that local governments seeking forfeiture of property as compensation for a public debt may not profit from it beyond the amount …

Factoring in Family: Considerations of Parenthood in the Assessment, Enforcement and Collection of Legal Financial Obligations

This study explores the relationship between monetary punishment and parenthood from the perspectives of court and community corrections professionals. The authors rely on data from 205 semi-structured interviews with judges, …