How to Use Budgets to Understand Criminal Justice Fines and Fees
The Vera Institute of Justice published a toolkit to help advocates analyze local budgets to better understand the impact of fines and fees and where reforms are needed. The publication details what to look for in budgets, questions to answer, and what to do with the information you find.
You can access the toolkit here.
Four Questions to answer about Fines and Fees:
- How much does your community collect in fines and fees?
- How many people pay fines and fees?
- What kinds of fines and fees are collected?
- Which agencies rely the most on fines and fees?
Recommended Articles
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 a...
The Economic Losses from Arrest and Conviction Records
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
What States and Local Government Can Do To Support Immigrants' Financial Stability
What States and Local Government Can Do To Support Immigrants' Financial Stability
The Economic Impacts on Mothers of Having an Incarcerated Co-Parent
The Economic Impacts on Mothers of Having an Incarcerated Co-Parent
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