News

No Price on Connection: How New York Made Prison Calls Free — And What Comes Next

By Derrell Frazier, Senior Advocacy and Campaigns Strategist – New York On August 1, New York became the sixth state in the country to make all phone calls free within …

Press Release: Gov. Kevin Stitt holds Ceremonial Bill Signing for HB 1460, a Groundbreaking Law Ending Fees in Oklahoma

The broadest Republican-led fee elimination bill in history will improve the lives of millions of Oklahomans. Contact: Michael Paul Jackson, Fines and Fees Justice Center [email protected] OKLAHOMA CITY — Today, …

Part 3 – State and Local Budgets Should Not Be Financially Dependent on Crime

By Tanisha Pierrette, Senior Research Analyst & Lillian Patil, Senior Analyst, State & Local Budgets This is part 3 of our six-part blog series, Reforming the Revenue Machine: An Advocate’s …

Part 2 – Exposing Fee Traps: Tracking Court Costs in Your Community

By Tanisha Pierrette, Senior Research Analyst This is part 2 of our six-part blog series, Reforming the Revenue Machine: An Advocate’s Guide to to Court Fines and Fees. Each post …

Part 1 – Translating National Data Into Local Action

By Tanisha Pierrette, Senior Research Analyst This is part 1 of our six-part blog series, Reforming the Revenue Machine: An Advocate’s Guide to to Court Fines and Fees. Each post …

Reforming the Revenue Machine: An Advocate’s Guide to Court Fines and Fees

This multi-part blog series will help advocates translate the data found in Imposing Instability into actionable messaging and steps you can use in campaigns for reform. Each blog will highlight key takeaways, connect national trends to what’s happening on the ground, and offer strategies to push for reform in your own community.

How Fines and Fees Hurt Women and Families: 6 Key Impacts

While many of us shop for flowers or plan brunches for Mother’s Day, millions of moms across the country are carrying a weight that no one should have to bear: unjust court debt.

Press Release: New Mexico Gov. Lujan Grisham Signs Parole Fee Elimination Bill Into Law

New Law Removes Financial Barriers to Reintegration and Prioritizes Families’ Basic Needs SANTA FE, NM – Yesterday, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed SB 375 into law, a bill which eliminates …

The Price of a Fresh Start: True Second Chances Start With Fines and Fees Reform

Whether you’re fighting for parole and probation reform, advocating for fair housing, supporting reentry programs, or working to expand employment access, this #SecondChanceMonth, we’re calling on criminal justice reform advocates to consider how addressing fines and fees reform can enhance the work you’re already doing.

Press Release: Gov. Glenn Youngkin Signs Bill Establishing Fair and Affordable Payment Plans for Court Debt

(Richmond, VA) On Monday, March 24th, Governor Glenn Youngkin signed HB 1661 into law, establishing a fair and consistent payment plan system for Virginians that have been struggling to pay down court debt.