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
The Long-Term Impact of Debt Relief For Indigent Defendants in a Misdemeanor Court
The Long-Term Impact of Debt Relief For Indigent Defendants in a Misdemeanor Court
A follow-up study to Criminalizing Poverty: The Consequences of Court Fees in a Randomized Experiment, confirms what many have long argued—court fines and fees do not deter crime….
Eliminate justice-related fees and invest in Oklahoma’s justice system
Eliminate justice-related fees and invest in Oklahoma’s justice system
Oklahoma’s reliance on court-imposed fines and fees as a funding mechanism for its criminal justice system disproportionately harms justice-involved individuals, especially t…
Court Debt Collection Service Subject to Controversy
Court Debt Collection Service Subject to Controversy
Debt collection agencies are prohibited by federal law from threatening arrest because of non-payment. In Oklahoma, seven plaintiffs in a class-action suit are challenging the debt…
Forgotten But Not Gone: A Multi-State Analysis of Modern-Day Debt Imprisonment
Forgotten But Not Gone: A Multi-State Analysis of Modern-Day Debt Imprisonment
The majority of states allow imprisonment as a direct result of failing to pay (FTP) court debt. This report presents findings from a three-state case study that sought to estimate…
Turning the Page: Oklahoma’s Criminal Justice Reform Story
Turning the Page: Oklahoma’s Criminal Justice Reform Story
After being named the state with the highest incarceration rate in 2016, Oklahoma made intentional policy changes, reducing its prison population by 21 percent. This report chronic…
OKC Municipal Court Programs Provide Real Alternatives To Incarceration
OKC Municipal Court Programs Provide Real Alternatives To Incarceration
Oklahoma City has taken a holistic approach to removing barriers to progress for people in Oklahoma City that have been criminalized due to their poverty and homelessness. Through…
Oklahoma SB 1458
Oklahoma SB 1458
Oklahoma introduced a bill that if passed would eliminate certain executive agency fees. Key Provisions: Eliminates the additional fee charged to any person convicted of an offense…
Criminalizing Poverty: The Consequences of Court Fees in a Randomized Experiment
Criminalizing Poverty: The Consequences of Court Fees in a Randomized Experiment
Using a randomized controlled trial of court related fee relief for misdemeanor defendants, the authors tested the hypothesis that financial obligations criminalize poverty and lat…
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…
Feenstra v. Sigler
Feenstra v. Sigler
The complaint alleges Judge Jared Sigler, Judge John Gerkin, and former Judge Curtis DeLapp (Judicial Defendants) failed to conduct inquiries into individuals’ ability to pay befor…