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
Paying the Price New Mexico’s Practice Of Arresting And Incarcerating People For Nonpayment Of Court Debt
Paying the Price New Mexico’s Practice Of Arresting And Incarcerating People For Nonpayment Of Court Debt
In a two-tiered criminal legal system, those with the resources to settle court-imposed debt result in a quick resolution of the case, but those without financial resources and soc…
New Mexico HB 139: Eliminating Court Fees
New Mexico HB 139: Eliminating Court Fees
The New Mexico Legislature approved a bill eliminating post-adjudication and bench warrant fees. The legislation also expands the definition of community service to encourage parti…
New Mexico SB 47: Driver’s License Suspension Penalties
New Mexico SB 47: Driver’s License Suspension Penalties
The New Mexico legislature passed a bill eliminating suspensions for failure to pay and failure to appear. The bill also requires the automatic reinstatement of licenses suspended…
Punishing the Poor: An Assessment of the Administration of Fines and Fees in New Mexico Misdemeanor Courts
Punishing the Poor: An Assessment of the Administration of Fines and Fees in New Mexico Misdemeanor Courts
Low-income people in New Mexico accused of minor crimes are often caught in a vicious cycle where they are jailed because they can’t afford to pay monetary sanctions. In 2018, the…
Interim Survey Results: The Impact of New Mexico’s Fines and Fees
Interim Survey Results: The Impact of New Mexico’s Fines and Fees
FFJC took a mixed-methods research approach to understand the burden of fines and fees on economically vulnerable New Mexicans. FFJC New Mexico, in partnership with the New Mexico…
New Mexico House Bill 81
New Mexico House Bill 81
The New Mexico legislature introduced a bill requiring the court to assess a person’s ability to pay any fine, fee or cost at the time of sentencing, and creating a presumption of…
HB 183: An Act Relating to Children; Eliminating Certain Fines and Fees Relating to Certain Crimes Committed by Juveniles
HB 183: An Act Relating to Children; Eliminating Certain Fines and Fees Relating to Certain Crimes Committed by Juveniles
This bill eliminates fines and administrative fees from the Delinquency Act within the Children’s Code. The bill also eliminates the $10 application fee for a public defender in…
NM SB181
NM SB181
This bill requires courts in criminal proceedings to assess ability to pay a fine, fee or costs, at the time of sentencing. The bill also requires that individuals be permitted to…
The Steep Costs of Criminal Justice Fees and Fines, A Fiscal Analysis of Three States and Ten Counties
The Steep Costs of Criminal Justice Fees and Fines, A Fiscal Analysis of Three States and Ten Counties
This Brennan Center research report analyzes the numerous disadvantages of the current criminal justice fine and fee systems of ten counties in Texas, Florida, and New Mexico.