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 …
Elimination of Fees
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 …
No Price on Connection: How New York Made Prison Calls Free — And What Comes Next
By Derrell Frazier, Senior Advocacy and Campaigns Strategist – New York On August 1, New York became the sixth state in the country to make all phone calls free within …
Press Release: Gov. Kevin Stitt holds Ceremonial Bill Signing for HB 1460, a Groundbreaking Law Ending Fees in Oklahoma
The broadest Republican-led fee elimination bill in history will improve the lives of millions of Oklahomans. Contact: Michael Paul Jackson, Fines and Fees Justice Center [email protected] OKLAHOMA CITY — Today, …
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.
North Dakota HB 1417
North Dakota HB 1417 The North Dakota legislature enacted legislation repealing the authority to assess supervision fees. Previously, courts were permitted to order supervision costs and fees of not less …
Press Release: New Mexico Gov. Lujan Grisham Signs Parole Fee Elimination Bill Into Law
New Law Removes Financial Barriers to Reintegration and Prioritizes Families’ Basic Needs SANTA FE, NM – Yesterday, Governor Michelle Lujan Grisham signed SB 375 into law, a bill which eliminates …
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.