Access to Justice Spotlight: Fines & Fees

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 eight states and a number of local jurisdictions that have eliminated all fines and fees for youth in juvenile court. In this report, Access to Justice outlines steps jurisdictions have taken to minimize the harmful impact of fines and fees on youth and, in the absence of the elimination of all fines and fees, suggests legislative changes that would codify meaningful ability-to-pay determinations as an interim step. This report offers advocates a helpful overview of various state and local policies that can be used to eliminate or reduce the significant harms of costs, fines, and fees in the legal system.