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

Winnable Criminal Justice Reforms 2026
Winnable Criminal Justice Reforms 2026

The Prison Policy Initiative released a list of promising policy reforms across several touchpoints in the criminal legal system: sentencing, incarceration, and release. The report…
Tools / National / November 18, 2025
Sarah Staudt and Emmett Sanders

Heavy Burdens: The Weight of Juvenile Fees and Fines in the Keystone State
Heavy Burdens: The Weight of Juvenile Fees and Fines in the Keystone State

In Pennsylvania, youth involved in the juvenile justice system courts and their families may be held financially liable for costs related to formal adjustments, summons, warrants,…
October 27, 2025
Nadia Mozaffar & Aqilah David

Incarcerated as a child, reentering as an adult: The unique reentry experiences and needs of juvenile lifers
Incarcerated as a child, reentering as an adult: The unique reentry experiences and needs of juvenile lifers

The Supreme Court decisions in Miller v. Alabama (2012) and Montgomery v. Louisiana (2016) resulted in the resentencing of individuals originally sentenced to mandatory life withou…
August 10, 2025
Tierney K. Huppert, Natalia Covan-Rodriguez, Tristin Faust, Tarika Daftary-Kapur

Making Children Pay The Hidden Cost to Kansas of Juvenile Fees and Fines
Making Children Pay The Hidden Cost to Kansas of Juvenile Fees and Fines

Kansas imposes a wide range of fines and fees on youth at nearly every point in the legal process. Using data from court records, state and county financial reports, previous resea…
Research & Data / Kansas / February 10, 2025
Jessica Feierman and Alisa Hoban

Unrepresented and Unseen: A Closer Look at the Harmful Impacts of Municipal Courts on Youth, Families
Unrepresented and Unseen: A Closer Look at the Harmful Impacts of Municipal Courts on Youth, Families

With over 215 municipal courts, each year thousands of Colorado youth and their families become involved in the municipal court system, often through tickets for school based offen…
Research & Data / Colorado / January 01, 2025
Gwendolyn Walker and Carly Wasserman

The Cost of Juvenile Probation: A Critical Look into Juvenile Supervision Fees
The Cost of Juvenile Probation: A Critical Look into Juvenile Supervision Fees

Probation is the most common disposition for a child to receive, with more than 200,000 children placed on probation each year. In courts across the country, children and their fam…
National / February 25, 2024

Better for Everyone: Repairing Harm for Crime Survivors and Young People: San Francisco’s New Approach to Youth Restitution
Better for Everyone: Repairing Harm for Crime Survivors and Young People: San Francisco’s New Approach to Youth Restitution

The purpose of juvenile restitution is to financially compensate the crime survivor for their loss and to hold the young person accountable for their actions. In San Francisco, cri…
Research & Data / California / January 01, 2024

Access to Justice Spotlight: Fines & Fees
Access to Justice Spotlight: Fines & Fees

In April 2023, the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, Office of Justice Programs, and Office for Access to Justice issued a revised Dear Colleague Letter, which de…
Research & Data / National / November 02, 2023

Arizona Senate Bill 1197: Juvenile offenders; monetary sanctions; repeal
Arizona Senate Bill 1197: Juvenile offenders; monetary sanctions; repeal

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs signed a bill eliminating juvenile fees. Juveniles with previously assessed fees can apply to have their debt waived. The bill also prohibits juvenile…
Legislation / Arizona / May 26, 2023

State Strategies to Address the Needs of Justice-Involved Youth Impacted by Collateral Consequences
State Strategies to Address the Needs of Justice-Involved Youth Impacted by Collateral Consequences

Collateral consequences refers to the adverse effects resulting from an interaction with the justice system. Even youth with the lowest level of engagement with the system face col…
Tools / National / February 23, 2023
Jessica Moise, Elise Simonsen, Maria Kearl