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
Equity In Enforcement Working Group: Report of Recommendation 2025
Equity In Enforcement Working Group: Report of Recommendation 2025
In January 2025, Chicago’s City Council passed a resolution establishing an Equity in Enforcement Working Group tasked with developing recommendations for moving Chicago toward a m…
Warrant Strategy
Warrant Strategy
Managing old warrants aged anywhere from 5 to 25 years contributes to significant backlogs in the legal system. This report highlights Cook County’s strategic efforts to addr…
Chicago Speed Cameras Fines Motorists over $102 million on 2023
Chicago Speed Cameras Fines Motorists over $102 million on 2023
In 2013, Chicago began issuing fines to motorists captured driving in excess of the speed limit. Since then, speed cameras have generated $879 million for the city, sending 9,132,4…
Why Automated Speed Cameras Disproportionately Affect Black and Brown Drivers
Why Automated Speed Cameras Disproportionately Affect Black and Brown Drivers
Automated traffic enforcement is active in nearly 200 communities nationwide. In Chicago, Illinois, speed cameras have been in place since 2013. In 2023, the city generated an ext…
The Financial Impact of Suspended Licenses in Illinois
The Financial Impact of Suspended Licenses in Illinois
Contact with the criminal legal system and sanctions such as driver’s license suspensions can result in limited employment opportunities and have lifelong impacts on a person’s pot…
Justice by Geography: The Role of Monetary Sanctions Across Communities
Justice by Geography: The Role of Monetary Sanctions Across Communities
Although state statutes often dictate the amount of fines and fees imposed, local courts have significant discretion in how they carry out the laws and there is variation between c…
475,106 Mistakes: When Tickets are Issued Under False Pretenses
475,106 Mistakes: When Tickets are Issued Under False Pretenses
In Chicago, many parking restrictions change according to space, time, and weather factors, resulting in the issuance of erroneous tickets. A review of nearly 3.6 million tickets,…
The Price Kids Pay: Schools and Police Punish Students with Costly Tickets for Minor Misbehavior
The Price Kids Pay: Schools and Police Punish Students with Costly Tickets for Minor Misbehavior
In 2015 Illinois legislators passed Senate Bill 100 prohibiting schools from fining students as a form of discipline. However, the law did not apply to police and schools have sinc…
Is There a Link Between Criminal Debt and Recidivism in Reentry?
Is There a Link Between Criminal Debt and Recidivism in Reentry?
To determine whether legal financial obligations (LFOs) are criminogenic, the author analyzed a multistate data set from the Urban Institute’s Returning Home Studies. The study fo…
Red-Light and Speed Cameras: Analyzing the Equity and Efficacy of Chicago’s Automated Camera Enforcement Program
Red-Light and Speed Cameras: Analyzing the Equity and Efficacy of Chicago’s Automated Camera Enforcement Program
This report analyzes Chicago’s automated red-light and speed camera program. Using data from red-light and speed camera tickets issued between 2016 and 2019, the authors evaluate t…