Ability to Pay Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

How Fines and Fees in the Criminal Legal System Hinder Black Economic Mobility

Through the Black Family Thriving Initiative, Urban Institute seeks to build a deeper, more accurate understanding of what life is really like for Black Americans in the middle class through …

People v. Kopp

Issue Whether Due Process and Equal Protection forbid a court from ordering payment of any financial obligation without first finding a defendant has an ability to pay. Holding A challenge …

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 …

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 identifies 34 reforms in eight …

How Cities are Rethinking Fines and Fees to Strengthen Residents’ Economic Stability

Cities across the country have a duty to their residents to promote economic mobility. The National League of Cities launched the Cities Addressing Fines and Fees Equitably Initiative (CAFFE) to …

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 …