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…
Following the Money of Mass Incarceration 2026
Following the Money of Mass Incarceration 2026
Since 2017, the United States has more than doubled its spending on mass incarceration and criminalization, despite a decline in both incarceration rates and correctional staff. Th…
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…
States Should Reduce or Eliminate Criminal Fines and Fees, Even Amid Challenging Fiscal
States Should Reduce or Eliminate Criminal Fines and Fees, Even Amid Challenging Fiscal
In challenging fiscal landscapes, state and local governments often turn to fines and fees to fill budget shortfalls. In this report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities…
San Diego is owed more than $260 million in delinquent parking tickets and other debts. Will it ever collect them?
San Diego is owed more than $260 million in delinquent parking tickets and other debts. Will it ever collect them?
Though fines are intended to deter unwanted behaviors, many cities use them as a revenue source. For the first time in over 20 years, San Diego raised its parking citation prices,…
Fines, Fees, and Financial Strain: Challenges for State and Local Governments in a Time of Fiscal Uncertainty
Fines, Fees, and Financial Strain: Challenges for State and Local Governments in a Time of Fiscal Uncertainty
Though often utilized as a routine source of revenue for many state and local governments, increasing reliance on fines and fees to fill budget gaps and raise additional revenue as…
Imposing Instability: How Court Fines and Fees Destabilize Government Budgets and Criminalize Those Who Cannot Pay
Imposing Instability: How Court Fines and Fees Destabilize Government Budgets and Criminalize Those Who Cannot Pay
In a first-of-its-kind report, the Fines and Fees Justice Center looks at the amount of criminal, juvenile, municipal, and traffic fines and fees imposed by courts nationwide and c…
The staggering cost to collect fees, fines, and restitution in Washington
The staggering cost to collect fees, fines, and restitution in Washington
Over the past three years, Washington has spent an estimated $268 million to collect $123.5 million in revenue from fines, fees, and restitution – spending more than double what it…
Five Facts about Fines and Fees Revenues
Five Facts about Fines and Fees Revenues
This brief summarizes the latest data from the US Census Bureau on where and to what extent places are relying on fine and fee revenue. Key Findings: Fiscal year 2022 data reveal…
Low-Income Kansans Are Going Into Debt Because Unpaid Traffic Tickets Rack up Interest
Low-Income Kansans Are Going Into Debt Because Unpaid Traffic Tickets Rack up Interest
In Kansas, low-income individuals fall deeper into debt due to unpaid traffic tickets that accrue interest over time. When these fines remain unpaid, they are often transferred to…