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…
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…
Beyond Social Determinants: Fiscal Determinants of Overdose Death in U.S Counties, 2017–2020
Beyond Social Determinants: Fiscal Determinants of Overdose Death in U.S Counties, 2017–2020
Rising overdose-related deaths have prompted many to explore what factors make some communities more severely affected than others. This report presents findings from a first-of-it…
Beyond Enforcement: Prioritizing Safety in Federal Transportation Funding
Beyond Enforcement: Prioritizing Safety in Federal Transportation Funding
The Department of Transportation (DOT) provides grants for traffic safety measures, but its reporting requirements often prioritize enforcement metrics over strategies to reduce tr…
The Conservative Case For Fines And Fees Reform
The Conservative Case For Fines And Fees Reform
The current criminal and civil fine and fee system in the United States should concern conservatives. This report shows how this system violates four core conservative principles:…
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….
Reframing The Debate on Legal Financial Obligations and Crime: How Accruing Monetary Sanctions Impacts Recidivism
Reframing The Debate on Legal Financial Obligations and Crime: How Accruing Monetary Sanctions Impacts Recidivism
As the use of legal financial obligations (LFOs) continues to grow, researchers have identified a need to better understand the long-term impacts on justice-involved individuals. U…
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…
Racial Disparities in Use of Force at Traffic Stops
Racial Disparities in Use of Force at Traffic Stops
Millions of traffic stops occur nationwide for reasons unrelated to safety. Officers not only use traffic stops as a pretext to conduct a search or investigate for other crimes but…
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…