Collateral Consequences Archives - Fines and Fees Justice Center

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 …

Part 4 – Fines and Fees: A Risky Source of Revenue for Governments

By Tanisha Pierrette, Senior Research Analyst & Lillian Patil, Senior Analyst, State & Local Budgets This is part 4 of our six-part blog series, Reforming the Revenue Machine: An Advocate’s …

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 victim service …

Part 3 – State and Local Budgets Should Not Be Financially Dependent on Crime

By Tanisha Pierrette, Senior Research Analyst & Lillian Patil, Senior Analyst, State & Local Budgets This is part 3 of our six-part blog series, Reforming the Revenue Machine: An Advocate’s …

Part 2 – Exposing Fee Traps: Tracking Court Costs in Your Community

By Tanisha Pierrette, Senior Research Analyst This is part 2 of our six-part blog series, Reforming the Revenue Machine: An Advocate’s Guide to to Court Fines and Fees. Each post …

Part 1 – Translating National Data Into Local Action

By Tanisha Pierrette, Senior Research Analyst This is part 1 of our six-part blog series, Reforming the Revenue Machine: An Advocate’s Guide to to Court Fines and Fees. Each post …

Reforming the Revenue Machine: An Advocate’s Guide to Court Fines and Fees

This multi-part blog series will help advocates translate the data found in Imposing Instability into actionable messaging and steps you can use in campaigns for reform. Each blog will highlight key takeaways, connect national trends to what’s happening on the ground, and offer strategies to push for reform in your own community.

How Fines and Fees Hurt Women and Families: 6 Key Impacts

While many of us shop for flowers or plan brunches for Mother’s Day, millions of moms across the country are carrying a weight that no one should have to bear: unjust court debt.