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
Failure to Pay The Use of Debt-Based Carceral Sanctions and Warrants in Wisconsin’s Municipal Courts
Failure to Pay The Use of Debt-Based Carceral Sanctions and Warrants in Wisconsin’s Municipal Courts
Although municipal courts in Wisconsin do not enforce criminal penalties, many order the arrest and jailing of people for debt-based sanctions. Municipal courts use writs of commit…
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…
The Government Revenue, Recidivism, and Financial Health Effects of Criminal Fines and Fees
The Government Revenue, Recidivism, and Financial Health Effects of Criminal Fines and Fees
Beginning January 1st, 2014, Wisconsin imposed a $200 surcharge on misdemeanor defendants found guilty in the Milwaukee Circuit Court. This paper examines the economic impact of th…
Eliminating Wisconsin’s Driver’s License Suspension Policy for Failure to Pay Forfeitures: A Cost-Benefit Analysis
Eliminating Wisconsin’s Driver’s License Suspension Policy for Failure to Pay Forfeitures: A Cost-Benefit Analysis
In Wisconsin, driver’s licenses are suspended for failure to pay legal financial obligations. This report highlights the negative economic ramifications of this policy, particularl…
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…
Policing-for-Profit Undermines Public Safety. This Town Shows A Better Way
Policing-for-Profit Undermines Public Safety. This Town Shows A Better Way
Relying on tickets to fund government is counterproductive to public safety and can erode trust between community and law enforcement while worsening long-standing economic inequal…
Legal Financial Obligations in Wisconsin
Legal Financial Obligations in Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s use of legal financial obligations (LFOs) as a revenue mechanism is a long-established practice. The state enacted its first surcharge in 1977, and the number has grown…
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 “…