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 …
Collateral Consequences
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.
The Price of a Fresh Start: True Second Chances Start With Fines and Fees Reform
Whether you’re fighting for parole and probation reform, advocating for fair housing, supporting reentry programs, or working to expand employment access, this #SecondChanceMonth, we’re calling on criminal justice reform advocates to consider how addressing fines and fees reform can enhance the work you’re already doing.
Bipartisanship at Work: A Decade of Fines and Fees Reform
In an era marked by deep political divisions, certain issues transcend partisan boundaries, uniting leaders in pursuit of common-sense reforms. The movement to eliminate burdensome justice system fines and fees has emerged as one such cause, gaining support from policymakers across the political spectrum.
Making Children Pay The Hidden Cost to Kansas of Juvenile Fees and Fines
Kansas imposes a wide range of fines and fees on youth at nearly every point in the legal process. Using data from court records, state and county financial reports, previous …
Seizing the Safety Net: Collecting Criminal Justice Debt with Tax Refund Offsets
Focusing on Kansas as a case study, this report examines how federal and state governments seize income tax refunds to collect and pay off (“offset”) criminal justice debt. These tax …
From Barriers to Bridges: How Fines and Fees Reform Can Help Boost Economic Security
In Georgia, fines and fees imposed by state and local governments in the criminal legal system are a barrier to economic security. This report by the Georgia Budget and Policy …
Failure to Pay The Use of Debt-Based Carceral Sanctions and Warrants in Wisconsin’s Municipal Courts
Although municipal courts in Wisconsin do not enforce criminal penalties, many order the arrest and jailing of people for debt-based sanctions. Municipal courts use writs of commitment to authorize the …
Dual Debt in the Child Support and Criminal Legal Systems
Drawing from 30 interviews with Minnesota residents, this study examines the experiences of people with what the authors describe as “dual debt.” The authors find that people who owe both …