The Fines and Fees Justice Index
In December 2022, The National Center for Access to Justice updated its Fines and Fees Justice Index. The last update was in May 2020. The Fines and Fees Index gives …
Collateral Consequences
Removing Barriers to Youth and Family Success: The Role of State Juvenile Cost of Care Fees
For youth in Idaho, courts assess fines and fees with little regard for how their lives may be affected. Cost of care fees, also known as parent reimbursement fees, can …
Reducing the Harms of Court Debt: Driver’s License Revocations are an Ineffective Policy for Increasing Court Collections
Since 2011, Tennessee law has allowed for the revocation of a driver’s license for overdue court debt, but a temporary policy change from July 2018 to July 2021 halted driver’s …
Locked Out 2022: Estimates Of People Denied Voting Rights Due To A Felony Conviction
Laws and policies across the United States have disenfranchised an estimated 4.6 million people as of 2022 due to felony convictions. This report chronicles felony disenfranchisement over the past 20 …
Alaska v. Jouppi
Issues 1. Whether the forfeiture of property based on being utilized in the commission of a crime is subject to the excessive fines clause of the U.S. Constitution. 2. Whether, as …
Redesigning Public Safety: Traffic Safety
Traffic stops are the most common reason for contact with the police in the United States, burdening Black drivers who disproportionately experience harassment and racial profiling. Along with being subject …
“Another Place to Warehouse People”: The State Where Halfway Houses Are a Revolving Door to Prison
In Colorado, about 50 percent of people return to prison within three years of release–one of the worst recidivism rates in the country. The 26 state-funded halfway houses meant to …
Court Fines and Fees Hurt Kansas Children and their Families
When Kansans interact with the criminal justice system, even for minor offenses, they often face substantial fines and fees that impact family finances, social structures, and support, keeping many trapped …
Alabama Takes From the Poor and Gives to the Rich
To raise taxes in Alabama, cities and counties must go through the state legislature to initiate a constitutional amendment allowing them to pass a law to raise property or income …
In Small-Town Georgia, A Broken Taillight Can Lead to Spiraling Debt
Georgia is one of the few states that criminalize traffic fines and allow localities to outsource misdemeanor probation supervision to private companies that are permitted to charge fees. This article …