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 Economic Losses from Arrest and Conviction Records
The Economic Losses from Arrest and Conviction Records
In some states, a person must pay off all fines and fees to be eligible to seal their record. This report by the Clean Slate Initiative demonstrates additional consequences of conv…
Joint Interim Study Commission on Court Costs
Joint Interim Study Commission on Court Costs
Court costs in Alabama are inconsistent across jurisdictions because counties passed local laws authorizing fees that differ from one another. To address this, the Alabama Legislat…
Local Court Fee Increases Associated with Increased Jail Detention
Local Court Fee Increases Associated with Increased Jail Detention
In Alabama, most counties have the authority to create fees, and over the past decade many have expanded court fees. Between 2012 and 2024, 39 local acts introduced new fees or inc…
Taxation by Citation: A 50-State Data and Policy Report on Local Government Fines and Forfeitures
Taxation by Citation: A 50-State Data and Policy Report on Local Government Fines and Forfeitures
Fiscal incentives can create conflicts of interest when cities, police departments and court systems become reliant on fine and forfeitures to fund their basic operations. This rep…
Calls and Conduct: The Impact of Free Communication on Prison Misconduct
Calls and Conduct: The Impact of Free Communication on Prison Misconduct
The private prison communication industry has made it expensive for incarcerated individuals to speak with their loved ones, and until recently– 2023– costs have been unregulated b…
The Economic Impacts on Mothers of Having an Incarcerated Co-Parent
The Economic Impacts on Mothers of Having an Incarcerated Co-Parent
When men are incarcerated, the mothers of their children are often left to carry a huge financial burden. This visual report uses an analysis of a longitudinal national surve…
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…
Fiscally Restraining Criminal Lawmaking
Fiscally Restraining Criminal Lawmaking
From 2015 to 2018, carceral legislation passed resoundingly across the country – 1,781 new punitive state criminal laws were added in that time period. When it comes to legis…
Roots of Wealth: Unearthing Black Prosperity in the South
Roots of Wealth: Unearthing Black Prosperity in the South
By imposing financial burdens, fines and fees compromise the capacity of low-income families and individuals to meet their immediate financial needs. In addition to increasing shor…
A Geospatial Analysis of Legal Financial Obligations, Crime, and Marginalization in Philadelphia
A Geospatial Analysis of Legal Financial Obligations, Crime, and Marginalization in Philadelphia
The imposition of legal financial obligations (LFOs) is well documented for their impact on individuals’ financial well-being, health and future system involvement, but there remai…