News

Opinion: D.C. should stop suspending driver’s licenses for unpaid fines

Washington, D.C. has the opportunity to lead the nation in fines and fees reform: for Washington Post’s Opinion section, FFJC Co-Director Joanna Weiss and Tzedek DC’s Ariel Levinson-Waldman support legislation …

August 2018 Newsletter

Each month, the Fines and Fees Justice Center distributes a newsletter about fines and fees reform efforts happening all over America. You can sign up for the newsletter here, and you …

ABA adopts guidelines aimed at preventing fines and fees that penalize poverty

The American Bar Association (ABA) adopted Ten Guidelines on Court Fines and Fees, principles designed to ensure that no one is subject to sanctions, including incarceration, simply because they do …

NYC Council Passes Intro 741, Guaranteeing Free Phone Calls for People Detained in NYC Jails

Joint Statement on a Victory Against Jail Profiteering July 18, 2018 – Today, the New York City Council passed Intro. No. 741, legislation sponsored by Speaker Corey Johnson, which requires …

July 2018 Newsletter

Each month, the Fines and Fees Justice Center distributes a newsletter about fines and fees reform efforts happening all over America. You can sign up for the newsletter here, and you …

June 2018 Newsletter

Each month, the Fines and Fees Justice Center distributes a newsletter about fines and fees reform efforts happening all over America. You can sign up for the newsletter here, and you …

Opinion: San Francisco’s justice system gets a little more just.

Under the leadership of newly elected Mayor London Breed, San Francisco Treasurer Jose Cisneros and the Financial Justice Project, San Francisco just became the first American jurisdiction to abolish its …

Opinion: American courts should not be turned into revenue machines

In this op-ed for The Hill, FFJC Co-Directors Lisa Foster and Joanna Weiss explain how fines and fees damage public safety & harm low-income communities of color: “Using fines and fees …

Opinion: City Must Stop Using Incarcerated People as Revenue Source

FFJC Co-Director Joanna Weiss worked with #CLOSERikers Campaign Coordinator Brandon Holmes to publish this op-ed in the Gotham Gazette. Together, they argue that New York City should end the practice …

Opinion: Jeff Sessions has endorsed an unconstitutional fine on the poor

In this op-ed for the Washington Post, FFJC Co-Director Lisa Foster explains the harms inflicted by Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ refusal to ensure that the Constitution is enforced in local and …