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…
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…
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…
Missing in Actions: How Low Appearance Rates Impact Courts
Missing in Actions: How Low Appearance Rates Impact Courts
Missed appearances can have negative consequences for court users, as well as courts themselves. This report identifies four main ways missed court appearances impact court operati…
Honest History: How Fines and Fees Came to Harm Black Communities in Virginia
Honest History: How Fines and Fees Came to Harm Black Communities in Virginia
This article takes a look at the history of Virginia’s criminal legal system and the racist laws and policies that resulted in unfair treatment and harmful outcomes for Black Virgi…
Priced Out of Freedom: Fees, Fines, and Representation in Parole & Probation Revocation
Priced Out of Freedom: Fees, Fines, and Representation in Parole & Probation Revocation
Whether someone is appointed counsel in a probation or parole hearing is nuanced and varies widely depending on the jurisdiction in which they’re located. This is especially challe…
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,…
Hope after Harm: An Evaluation of State Victim Compensation Statutes
Hope after Harm: An Evaluation of State Victim Compensation Statutes
In 1984, Congress passed the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) which established the Crime Victims Fund (CVF) to provide financial support to state crime victim compensation programs and…