California AB 177: Public safety
The California Legislature introduced AB 177 which would end the collection of an additional 17 administrative fees charged to people who come into contact with the criminal system. The bill …
Elimination of Fees
San Francisco’s Financial Justice Project: Reducing the burden of fines and fees on San Franciscans with low incomes
San Francisco’s cost of living has drastically risen over the past decade, and 47 percent of San Franciscans are financially insecure. To address harmful fines and fees practices, San Francisco …
Minors Facing Major Debt: The Immense Burden of Court Fees on Macomb County Youth and Families
The Michigan Center for Youth Justice (MCYJ), in partnership with the National Center for Youth Law and the 16th Judicial Division, developed an innovation site in Macomb County, Michigan. In …
Connecticut Senate Bill 972: An Act Concerning Communication Services In Correctional And Juvenile Detention Facilities
The Connecticut Legislature passed a bill requiring the Commissioner of Correction to provide free voice communication service to all individuals confined in a correctional or juvenile detention facility, and prohibits …
Colorado HB21-1315: Concerning eliminating certain monetary amounts a juvenile in the justice system is required to pay.
Colorado recently passed a bill that eliminates a number of costs and fees that a juvenile and their families were previously required to pay. The bill also discharges all outstanding …
Michigan House Bills No. 4987–4991
The Michigan legislature introduced a package of bills that would prohibit juvenile courts from assessing and collecting fines and fees from juveniles or their families. The bills eliminate diversion program …
Stripping the Gears of White Supremacy: A Call to Abate Reliance on Court Fines and Fees and Revitalize Local Taxation
The imposition of court debt began in the 1960s and became more prominent in the 1980s through fines, fees, costs, assessments, asset forfeiture, and restitution. States and municipalities have come …
Delaware HB 244: An act to amend the code relating to fines, fees, costs, assessments, and restitution
The Delaware legislature introduced a bill to eliminate a number of fines and fees including fines and costs in juvenile delinquency proceedings, the public defender fee, and the probation supervision …
Louisiana HB 216: Provides relative to the imposition of court costs in proceedings involving children
Louisiana passed legislation prohibiting the authority of juvenile justice courts to assess costs in juvenile delinquency proceedings against a juvenile, their parents, or guardians. The provisions take effect beginning Jul …
More Harm than Good: Building a more Just Fine and Fee System in California
Fines and fees push many low-income, Black, and Latinx California families into debt, cutting into their ability to meet basic needs. Researchers estimate that there is at least $10 billion …