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
Calls and Conduct: The Impact of Free Communication on Prison Misconduct
Calls and Conduct: The Impact of Free Communication on Prison Misconduct
The private prison communication industry has made it expensive for incarcerated individuals to speak with their loved ones, and until recently– 2023– costs have been unregulated b…
If You Can’t Afford an Attorney, One Will Be Appointed. And You May Get a Huge Bill
If You Can’t Afford an Attorney, One Will Be Appointed. And You May Get a Huge Bill
Although the majority of states try to recoup counsel fees for indigent defenders, Iowa charges some of the highest fees. Even in cases where individuals are acquitted, or charges…
Champagne v. Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP
Champagne v. Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP
Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, LLP (“Linebarger”) has an exclusive contract with the Iowa Judicial Branch to act as the sole private company collecting court debt, includin…
Iowa v. Jane Doe
Iowa v. Jane Doe
Jane Doe, an indigent woman, was denied expungement for failure to pay court-appointed attorney fees. Doe argued that her equal protection rights were violated because defendants w…
Monetary Myopia: An Examination of Institutional Response to Revenue From Monetary Sanctions for Misdemeanors
Monetary Myopia: An Examination of Institutional Response to Revenue From Monetary Sanctions for Misdemeanors
This study assesses the use of fines and fees for misdemeanor crimes in Nevada and Iowa to highlight the perverse incentives embedded in the practice of using courts as revenue cen…
Graduating Economic Sanctions According to Ability to Pay
Graduating Economic Sanctions According to Ability to Pay
This article focuses on a potential reform with increasing bipartisan support: the graduation of economic sanctions according to a person’s financial circumstances, also known as “…
Iowa SB 2316: An Act relating to the collection of delinquent court debt and associated installment agreements.
Iowa SB 2316: An Act relating to the collection of delinquent court debt and associated installment agreements.
Iowa Senate Bill 2316 makes changes to Iowa’s court debt collection practices. The amendments allow people to enter into a payment plan for court debt and outline the process for m…