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
Statewide Court Appearance Project Final Report: Recommendations to Address Court Appearance Issues in North Carolina
Statewide Court Appearance Project Final Report: Recommendations to Address Court Appearance Issues in North Carolina
Missing a court appearance can result in a myriad of consequences including jail booking and license revocations, and an increased strain on limited court and law enforcement resou…
Estimating Earnings Impact of Driver’s License Revocations in North Carolina
Estimating Earnings Impact of Driver’s License Revocations in North Carolina
In North Carolina, a driver’s license can be revoked for failure to pay court ordered monetary obligations and failure to appear in court. Millions of people rely on their licenses…
When the Dollars Don’t Add Up to Sense
When the Dollars Don’t Add Up to Sense
Over the past 20 years, North Carolina has increased its reliance on fines and fees as a revenue source. At the same time, the legislature has implemented regressive tax policies t…
Waiving Criminal Court Fees Prevents Harms of Civil Debt
Waiving Criminal Court Fees Prevents Harms of Civil Debt
North Carolina law allows judges to order the conversion of financial obligations to civil judgments. Although doing this may protect justice-involved people from driver’s license…
Civil Rights and Equity of Legal Financial Obligations in North Carolina
Civil Rights and Equity of Legal Financial Obligations in North Carolina
Each state has an advisory committee on civil rights composed of members with diverse backgrounds, skills, and experiences that advise the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights on civil…
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…
Auto-Jubilee: A Case for Massive Automatic Driver’s License Restoration for Debtor-Suspendees
Auto-Jubilee: A Case for Massive Automatic Driver’s License Restoration for Debtor-Suspendees
Driver’s license suspension is increasingly employed as a punitive measure for non-driving offenses such as failure to appear or failure to comply with court orders, includin…
North Carolina Court Appearance Project
North Carolina Court Appearance Project
In North Carolina, nonappearance for a court case can lead to driver’s license suspension, an order for arrest, and jail time. Nearly 250,000 court appearances are missed annually…
Spiraling Criminal Debt
Spiraling Criminal Debt
North Carolina in recent decades moved to a user- fee model allowing courts to impose any number of fines and fees when a criminal case is resolved through a plea or verdict. If a…
Johnson v. Goodwin
Johnson v. Goodwin
Johnson v. Goodwin (Formerly Johnson v. Jessup) Case No. 1:18-cv-00467 (M.D. N.C. 2022) On March 3, 2022, a federal court accepted a settlement in this class action lawsuit brough…