Welcome to FFJC’s digital library of resources related to fines and fees, also known as the Clearinghouse. Our repository of research and tools is curated and summarized by our Policy and Research team and includes key fines and fees research, litigation, legislation, policy analysis and guidance, and case studies. Use the search features below to find the information you need to drive reform.

E.g., ‘impacts of fines and fees’
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Debt Sentence: How Fines And Fees Hurt Working Families

This report shares the results of a national survey of over 5,600 adults to see how court-imposed fines and fees affect people across the country.

Debt Sentence: How Fines And Fees Hurt Working Families

Identifying Drivers of Absconding
Identifying Drivers of Absconding

To identify the factors that drive parole and probation revocations, the Crime and Justice Institute, conducted a comprehensive assessment of community supervision policies and pra…
Research & Data / Colorado, Florida, Mississippi, Montana / March 30, 2025

Penalizing the Poor: An Assessment of the Administration of Fines and Fees in Florida Misdemeanor Courts
Penalizing the Poor: An Assessment of the Administration of Fines and Fees in Florida Misdemeanor Courts

 Florida courts’ fine and fee procedures punish people for being poor. In 2018, the American Bar Association (ABA) developed guidance on fairly administering court fines and…
Research & Data / Florida / February 07, 2024

The Impact of Criminal Financial Sanctions: A Multi-State Analysis of Survey and Administrative Data
The Impact of Criminal Financial Sanctions: A Multi-State Analysis of Survey and Administrative Data

This multi-state study assesses outcomes related to recidivism, employment, expenditures, mental well-being, and household spillovers. Researchers specifically analyzed how increas…
Research & Data / National, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin / August 10, 2023
Keith Finlay, Matthew Gross, Carl Lieberman, Elizabeth Luhand, and Michael Mueller-Smith

Fines and Financial Wellbeing
Fines and Financial Wellbeing

Unplanned financial shocks can have long-term effects on household finances. This article explores whether households can absorb unanticipated shocks by estimating the impacts of f…
Research & Data / Florida / May 23, 2023
Steven Mello

Stepping on the Gas: Accelerating Florida’s Growth by Restoring the Freedom to Drive
Stepping on the Gas: Accelerating Florida’s Growth by Restoring the Freedom to Drive

Introduction If you’re a hard-working, safe driver who’s struggling to make a fine or fee payment, Florida can take your license and, with it, your ability to drive and work. Losin…
Research & Data / Florida / February 15, 2023

A Statewide Analysis of the Impact of Restitution and Fees on Juvenile Recidivism in Florida Across Race & Ethnicity
A Statewide Analysis of the Impact of Restitution and Fees on Juvenile Recidivism in Florida Across Race & Ethnicity

Introduction Every young person who comes into contact with Florida’s courts — regardless of guilt or innocence — is saddled with fees. Florida law authorizes 31 different court fe…
Research & Data / Florida / February 09, 2023

High-Frequency Location Data Shows That Race Affects The Likelihood of Being Stopped and Fined For Speeding
High-Frequency Location Data Shows That Race Affects The Likelihood of Being Stopped and Fined For Speeding

Prior research on race, speeding, and citations has focused on the effects of a driver’s race on the punishment received, never exploring whether race could also influence the prob…
Research & Data / Florida / December 09, 2022
Pradhi Aggarwal, Alec Brandon, Ariel Goldszmidt, Justin Holz, John A. List, Ian Muir, Gregory Sun, & Thomas Yu

New Florida Law Offers More Affordable Payment Plan For Court-Ordered Fees
New Florida Law Offers More Affordable Payment Plan For Court-Ordered Fees

In Florida, 70 percent of the millions of people with suspended driver’s licenses are due to unpaid fines and fees. Under a new Florida law, Floridians with outstanding court fees…
Media Coverage / Florida / July 01, 2022
Romy Ellenbogen

Dreams Deferred: The Impact of Juvenile Fees on Florida’s Children, Families, and Future
Dreams Deferred: The Impact of Juvenile Fees on Florida’s Children, Families, and Future

This report outlines the catastrophic consequences of juvenile fee debt for Florida’s children, families, and economy including: increased poverty, increased recidivism, and the ex…
Research & Data / Florida / January 25, 2022

FL SB 870: Driver License Suspensions
FL SB 870: Driver License Suspensions

Florida Senator Shevrin Jones introduced legislation that would eliminate provisions requiring the suspension of a driver’s license for failure to pay fines and fees for a traffic…
Legislation / Florida / November 08, 2021