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
Providing Labor Market Context For Debt-Related Driver’s License Suspensions In Ohio
Providing Labor Market Context For Debt-Related Driver’s License Suspensions In Ohio
Debt-related suspensions (DRS) are the most common reason for driver’s license suspension in Ohio. As the need for a valid driver’s license increases as a condition of employment a…
No License to Drive: Why So Many Ohioans Are Barred From Driving
No License to Drive: Why So Many Ohioans Are Barred From Driving
States surrounding Ohio have eliminated debt-based driver’s license suspensions in recent years, but Ohio continues to issue suspensions for failure to pay court debt. An investiga…
Clearing The Road For Ohioans With Suspended Licenses: A Look At Ohio’s Reinstatement Fee Amnesty Program
Clearing The Road For Ohioans With Suspended Licenses: A Look At Ohio’s Reinstatement Fee Amnesty Program
For drivers in Ohio, there are over 30 offenses, with penalties ranging from $15 to $600, that may trigger a license suspension. The Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) then charge…
How a Wealthy Cleveland Suburb Profits From Ticketing Black Drivers
How a Wealthy Cleveland Suburb Profits From Ticketing Black Drivers
Black Clevelanders say Bratenahl officers target them when they drive through the affluent and majority White village. From January to September 2022, almost all of the 1,006 ticke…
Road to Nowhere: Debt-Related Driver’s License Suspensions in Ohio
Road to Nowhere: Debt-Related Driver’s License Suspensions in Ohio
Each year, over 1 million drivers in Ohio have a suspended license for failure to pay fines and fees. Using surveys, census data, and five years of debt-related suspension data fro…
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…
The Demand for Money Behind Many Traffic Stops
The Demand for Money Behind Many Traffic Stops
Cities and towns, often those with weakened tax bases or that are barred from easily raising revenue, use fines and fees to raise revenue. Over 730 municipalities rely on fines and…
Ohio Bench Card: Collection of Court Costs and Fines in Adult Trial Courts
Ohio Bench Card: Collection of Court Costs and Fines in Adult Trial Courts
This bench card provides guidance to judges regarding the imposition and collection of court costs and fines. The benchcard provides that a person may be jailed for a willful refus…
Ohio Bench Card: Collection of Fines and Fees in Juvenile Court
Ohio Bench Card: Collection of Fines and Fees in Juvenile Court
The bench card provides guidance to judges on how to determine a juvenile’s ability to pay, and outlines the circumstances unique to juveniles that must be considered before…
Why journalists should cover local jails
Why journalists should cover local jails
In this article for The Poynter Institute, Al Tompkins underscores the importance of journalists covering local jails and suggests several coverage angles that journalists can use…