Fines and Fees Justice Center

Fines and Fees Justice Center (“FFJC”) is the only national organization focused exclusively on fines and fees imposed in the justice system. We work together with affected communities, advocates, and justice system stakeholders to eliminate fees, ensure that fines are equitably imposed and enforced, and end abusive collection practices.

Across the country, state and local governments and their courts impose fines as a punishment for minor traffic and municipal code violations, misdemeanors, and felonies. They then tax people with fees, surcharges, and costs used to fund the justice system and other government services. Those who cannot immediately pay face additional fees, license suspensions, loss of voting rights, arrest, and jail. Stuck in a cycle of punishment and poverty, people can lose their jobs, their homes, and even their children. In this two-tiered system of justice, poor people – and particularly communities of color – are disproportionately punished.

Founded in 2018, FFJC has catalyzed a bipartisan movement to eliminate the fines and fees that distort justice, devastate the lives of millions of people and perpetuate and exacerbate economic and racial inequality. FFJC has a three-pronged strategy for implementing durable fines and fees reform.

FFJC is developing replicable advocacy models in four states: Florida, Nevada, New York, and New Mexico. Our state teams live and work in their states. Together with directly impacted communities, they have developed broad-based coalitions from across the political spectrum to enact significant reform at both the state and local levels.

FFJC has recently launched its Midwest initiative to support reform efforts in Minnesota, Michigan, Illinois and Ohio. Our Midwest Director develops strategies and provides assistance to launch and execute fines and fees campaigns across the region.

FFJC works across the country to drive fines and fees reform. Our national team provides strategic and technical assistance to impacted communities and advocates and leads two national campaigns: Free to Drive, a nationwide campaign to end debt-based driver’s license restrictions; and End Justice Fees, a national campaign to eliminate all fees in the justice system.

Finally, FFJC Is a hub for information on fines and fees reform. FFJC develops, collects, and disseminates information through its digital Clearinghouse, an easily-accessible library of research, pilot projects, litigation, legislation, court-rule changes, data, media, and community voices related to fines and fees reform.