Fines & Fees
Sample text: “Jurisdictions reported the practice (of youth fines and fees) was unnecessary and inappropriate since Kansas Dept. of Corrections grants already cover everything they would spend the fees on.”
From the executive summary: “The repercussions of involvement in municipal court are severe and often can affect youth long into adulthood through punitive measures like probation, fines and fees, detention, and criminal records. To address these issues, this report calls on municipal courts, policymakers, police departments, school districts, and advocates to take action. It emphasizes…
This report challenges the notion that Georgia’s youth legal system is built to rehabilitate and suggests measures that protect the health and humanity of all the state’s children. First, this report will explore the myth of the “superpredator” and its impact on perceived Black youth criminality. Second, it will detail the state’s school-to-prison pipeline and…
The answer, then, is not to simply reform the system of punishment, but to stop surveilling and punishing kids and instead invest in the things that set kids up for success, like education, family support, and access to healthcare. We need to start seeing children as children, not as criminals, and giving them the tools…
The National Youth Justice Network released a report detailing legislative trends on youth rights from 2023. This report highlights key gains made by several states around juvenile court fines and fees, expungement, transfer, and youth interrogation among other issues, and flags several regressive legislative trends rooted in harmful narratives about young people. This overview of…
We all want young people to thrive. But referring them to the juvenile court system often gets in the way. Learn how to help youth mature into thriving adults. Check out www.njdc.info/futuresinthebalance. Video by Next Day Animations (www.nextdayanimations.com).
NJDC is proud to partner with the Players Coalition to eliminate barriers to that prevent young people from accessing their constitutional right to counsel.
New England Patriot Devin McCourty and Players Coalition team up with the National Juvenile Defender Center to raise awareness that far too many young people in juvenile court don’t ever get lawyers.
“What we know is that when access to justice depends on a child’s ability to pay for their own defense, the disparities of class, race, and ethnicity are magnified.”
On January 30th, 2019, the Players Coalition Charitable Foundation unveiled its 2019 plan to impact racial and social inequality and also announced its 2018-19 support of six national non-profit organizations at a press conference. Players Coalition Co-Founders Anquan Boldin and Malcolm Jenkins presented the Coalition’s direction for the next year. At the press conference, NJDC…
Off. for Access to Just., U.S. Dep’t of Just. (2023). The U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Access to Justice issued this report as a follow up on the department’s Fines and Fees Dear Colleague letter. The report spotlights jurisdictions that have eliminated fines and fees for youth and adults through various mechanisms and highlights…
Outlines steps that states must take to comply with the minimum requirements of the U.S. Constitution to protect the rights of youth facing deprivations of liberty.
From the introduction: “The goal of the Kansas juvenile legal system is ‘to promote public safety, hold juvenile offenders accountable for their behavior and improve their ability to live more productively and responsibly in their community.’ Evidence shows that juvenile fees and fines do the opposite. This report outlines the ways in which fees and…
This bench card is intended to assist judges in considering the consequences of juvenile court involvement that may adversely affect public safety and positive youth development. The bench card is not intended to impinge upon or alter constitutional or statutory responsibilities of the court. Judges and attorneys have different ethical responsibilities but share the goal…
Infographic on the harms of supervision fees on young people.
This publication covers the ways in which the collateral consequences of juvenile court involvement and the longevity and availability of juvenile court records directly interfere with the very things that help young people succeed.
Juvenile courts across the country charge young people and their families bail, fines, fees, costs, and restitution without regard to children’s inability to pay. Such financial assessments are common in criminal courts, but in juvenile courts the consequences of such practices are even more detrimental, as they are exacerbated by children’s financial dependence. Children may…
The National Juvenile Defender Center (NJDC) conducted a national survey on the practice and enforcement of supervision fees assessed for a child’s time on juvenile probation. Juvenile defenders and juvenile probation officers from the 50 states and D.C. were interviewed by NJDC legal staff to uncover the prevalence and impact of supervision fee practices on…
