Ability to Pay Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

2025 Legislative Roundup Part 3: Ability-to-Pay Practices

This is the third of our four-part Legislative Roundup series, which offers an in-depth analysis of each core area of FFJC’s reform efforts including: debt-based driver’s license restrictions, state and …

Alternative Funding for Trial Courts: Implementation Recommendations

Under the direction of Public Act 47, the Michigan’s State Court Administrative Office set out to implement the Trial Court Funding Commission’s recommendations for addressing barriers to fair and effective …

Findings From the Jefferson County Equitable Fines and Fees Project

Alabama is a low-tax,low-service state that relies on bonds, vice taxes, court fines, and fees to fund basic services and projects. This report presents findings from a multi-method study examining …

Fines, Fees, and Financial Strain: Challenges for State and Local Governments in a Time of Fiscal Uncertainty

Though utilized as a routine source of revenue for many state and local governments, increasing reliance on fines and fees to fill budget gaps and raise additional revenue as a …

Part 6 – Trapped by Design: How Court Debt Devastates Lives

By Tanisha Pierrette, Senior Research Analyst & Lara Weissman, 2025 Communications Intern This is the final blog in our six-part series on how advocates can turn data into action. If …

Part 5 – Ending the Debt-to-Arrest Pipeline: Why It’s Time for Warrant Reform

By Tanisha Pierrette, Senior Research Analyst This is part 5 of our six-part blog series, Reforming the Revenue Machine: An Advocate’s Guide to to Court Fines and Fees. Each post …

The Road to Debtors’ Probation: How Criminalizing Traffic Violations Increases State Control and Inequality in Georgia

In Georgia, nearly all traffic offenses are classified as misdemeanors, unlike most states that treat them as civil offenses. This study examines how Georgia’s practice of classifying almost all traffic …

Ability to Pay and the Affordability of Fines and Fees

Using data from the Urban Institute’s 2024 Well-Being and Basic Needs Survey, the Tax Policy Center produced a factsheet examining the prevalence of ability to pay inquiries and affordability options. …

The Impact of Legal Debt on Perceptions of Procedural Justice, Legal Cynicism, and Legitimacy In People Sentenced to Misdemeanor Private Probation

In Georgia, courts are permitted to contract with private probation companies to supervise individuals’ sentences for minor offenses or simply because they cannot pay their fines and fees at the …

Participant Experiences in the City of Tempe Community Supervision Program’s Incentive Program

In Tempe, Arizona, community supervision clients have the opportunity to exchange the cost of their monthly fees for participation in voluntary classes, community service, career development, and personal improvement programs. …