Elimination of Fees Archives - Page 9 of 12 - Fines and Fees Justice Center

California SB 144: Criminal fees.

This bill repeals the authority to collect certain criminal administrative fees including fees for public defenders, booking, mandatory drug testing and costs related to incarceration and probation supervision.

It’s All About The Money: An Exploration of Probation Fees

Texas relies on supervision fees from probationers to recuperate operating costs for their probation program; failure to pay can result in additional sanctions and ultimately, revocations. This study used focus …

Legal Financial Obligations in Wisconsin

Wisconsin’s use of legal financial obligations (LFOs) as a revenue mechanism is a long-established practice. The state enacted its first surcharge in 1977, and the number has grown significantly since. …

Alameda County Administrative Code Section 2.42.190 (Amendment): Prohibiting assessment and collection of fees for adult probation services; fees collected by Public Defender’s Office; fees for Sheriff’s Office Work Alternative Program

This ordinance eliminates criminal justice administrative fees charged by Alameda County, California. In particular, it eliminates county-imposed probation fees, public defender fees, and fees associated with the Sheriff’s Office Work Alternative Program.

FFJC Co-Director Joanna Weiss moderates New York City Bar Association panel on New York’s mandatory surcharges

On Wednesday, November 28, FFJC Co-Director Joanna Weiss moderated a New York City Bar Association panel about New York’s mandatory surcharges. Joanna was joined by NY State Supreme Court’s Hon. Daniel …

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors: Discontinuing Collection of Outstanding Juvenile Detention Fees

This legislation discharges all outstanding debt owed by families on behalf of justice-involved youth and mandates that the county inform all affected parents and guardians that they should cease payment as soon as possible. The total amount of debt discharged was over $89 million.

Smart on Crime Innovations Conference panel, “Eliminating User Fees: Just and Fair Ways to Fund the Justice System”

FFJC Co-Director Joanna Weiss participated in a Smart on Crime Innovations Conference panel about eliminating “user fees” in the justice system.

Orleans Parish Juvenile Court Standing Policy on Juvenile Administrative Fees

In the summer of 2018, New Orleans became the first city in the South to abolish fees charged to youth involved in the juvenile justice system.

Unholy Alliance: California Courts’ Use of Private Debt Collectors

California’s use of private debt collection companies for criminal justice fines and fees debt disproportionately impacts communities of color and perpetuates a cycle of poverty. The California Reinvestment Coalition reviewed …

Criminal Justice Administrative Fees: High Pain for People, Low Gain for Government. A Call to Action for California Counties.

In 2017, the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, Financial Justice Project, and Mayor’s Office of Budget and Public Policy studied the collateral consequences of criminal justice administrative fees on San Franciscans. Their findings were published in this report, which also coincides with 2018 San Francisco County legislation that abolished all discretionary fees imposed by the county.