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 Cost We No Longer Pay: How Fines and Fees Reform Delivered Billions in Relief for Families
The Cost We No Longer Pay: How Fines and Fees Reform Delivered Billions in Relief for Families

People living paycheck-to-paycheck and communities of color are disproportionately impacted by criminal justice fines and fees. The consequences for being unable to afford to pay t…
Tools, Research & Data / National / May 01, 2026

Diversion Without Debt: Case Studies from Three County Prosecutors Leading Fee Reform
Diversion Without Debt: Case Studies from Three County Prosecutors Leading Fee Reform

Diversion programs offer an early off-ramp from the criminal legal system, providing accountability while reducing recidivism and enhancing public safety. However, the imposition o…
Pilots & Programs, Research & Data / National, Hawaii, Minnesota, Virginia / January 27, 2026
Amy Dallas, Prophet Pride, and Mona Sahaf

The Hidden Cost of Compliance: Exploring How Fees Influence Correctional Interventions and Probation Outcomes
The Hidden Cost of Compliance: Exploring How Fees Influence Correctional Interventions and Probation Outcomes

Intervention fees or programming fees for mandated services, such as drug testing and treatment, mental health services, class or program participation, community service, or elect…
Research & Data / Texas / July 29, 2025
Amber Petkus

The Hidden Web of Criminal Legal System Fines and Fees in Kentucky
The Hidden Web of Criminal Legal System Fines and Fees in Kentucky

Kentucky’s criminal legal system is made up of a complicated network of fines and fees that can be difficult to navigate and lead to devastating consequences for Kentuckians who ar…
Research & Data / Kentucky / July 08, 2025
Ashley Spalding, Pam Thomas, Patience Martin, Scott West, and Kaylee Raymer

We Can’t Afford It: Mass Incarceration and The Family Tax
We Can’t Afford It: Mass Incarceration and The Family Tax

This mixed-methods report quantifies the financial costs incurred by families when a loved one is incarcerated. Drawing on a nationally representative survey of adults with an imme…
Research & Data / National / June 03, 2025
Brian Elderbroom, Peter Mayer, and Felicity Rose

Paying for One’s Own Incarceration: National Landscape of Pay to Stay Fees
Paying for One’s Own Incarceration: National Landscape of Pay to Stay Fees

Pay-to-stay fees, also referred to as costs of incarceration, cost of care, cost of support, or room and board, are the costs charged to individuals for their incarceration. They m…
Research & Data / National / June 01, 2025
Campaign Zero

The Impact of Legal Debt on Perceptions of Procedural Justice, Legal Cynicism, and Legitimacy In People Sentenced to Misdemeanor Private Probation
The Impact of Legal Debt on Perceptions of Procedural Justice, Legal Cynicism, and Legitimacy In People Sentenced to Misdemeanor Private Probation

In Georgia, courts are permitted to contract with private probation companies to supervise individuals’ sentences for minor offenses or simply because they cannot pay their f…
Research & Data / Georgia / May 01, 2025
Marshall Lorraine White

North Dakota HB 1417
North Dakota HB 1417

North Dakota HB 1417 The North Dakota legislature enacted legislation repealing the authority to assess supervision fees. Previously, courts were permitted to order supervision cos…
Legislation / North Dakota / April 29, 2025

Guide to New Low Rates and Consumer Protections for Incarcerated People’s Communications Services
Guide to New Low Rates and Consumer Protections for Incarcerated People’s Communications Services

Effective January 1, 2025, the Martha Wright-Reed Just and Reasonable Communications Act expands and clarifies the scope of the Federal Communication Commission’s (FCC) autho…
Tools / National / April 01, 2025

Identifying Drivers of Absconding
Identifying Drivers of Absconding

To identify the factors that drive parole and probation revocations, the Crime and Justice Institute, conducted a comprehensive assessment of community supervision policies and pra…
Research & Data / Colorado, Florida, Mississippi, Montana / March 30, 2025