Groundbreaking win in Oklahoma! 🎉. The passage & signing of #HB1460 is a milestone moment in the #EndJusticeFees campaign – a bipartisan movement for reform built and led by FFJC that has achieved criminal justice fee elimination in states across the country.

Even as incoming cases dropped by 20%, the imposition of #FinesAndFees increased by 3%. At the same time, fines & fees collections dropped by 33% — and did not recover post-COVID. 💡Explore smarter alternatives in our new report, #ImposingInstability.

📉With court collections declining over the past 5 years, it’s clear that government reliance on #FinesAndFees is risky and unsustainable. 📘Head to our new report, #ImposingInstability, to explore smarter funding options for lawmakers to consider!.

In a new short film produced by #FinedOut & @RWJF, we tell the story of how directly impacted New Mexicans, advocates, & lawmakers joined forces to bring this reform into fruition — helping thousands get back on the road to stability and opportunity. 🎥

From 2019-2021, New Mexico suspended over 183,000 driver’s licenses all because the person could not afford to pay their court debt or missed a court hearing. But in 2023, the state changed the rules — and changed lives through the passage of #SB47. 🎥

Eliminating all justice system fees would bring long-overdue relief, reduce systemic disparities, and help establish a fairer justice system. 📘Check our latest report, #ImposingInstability, to learn exactly why these fees have to go.

#FinesAndFees don’t just harm communities – they fail governments, too. Families nationwide are drowning in court debt, while states & cities attempt to patch their budgets with this unstable, shrinking revenue stream. It’s time for a new approach. 💡

💰In 24 states, $14 BILLION in #FinesAndFees has been piled onto people over the past 5 years. Due to underreporting, outdated systems, & poor transparency, the real total is likely higher. On average, over half of this debt comes from justice fees. 💡

RT @reasonpolicy: Our justice system is enamored with using fines and fees to punish people who are poor, which is not just unfair, it goes….

When people can’t pay, they face severe, long-term impacts. In #ImposingInstability, we show how this risky funding model destabilizes budgets, deepens inequality, & perpetuates criminalization. 👇Read the report to learn how we can build a fairer system.

The data is clear: fines and fees don’t deliver justice — they impose instability. ⛔. For decades, our state & local governments have relied on #FinesAndFees to fill budget gaps – extracting money from people drawn into our criminal, juvenile, traffic, and municipal courts. 🧵

Learn more from @PrisonPolicy 👇.

Instead of protecting families, @FCC is protecting the status quo that profits from disconnection. If making money is more important than reform and reintegration, it’s not a justice system – it’s a business built on harm.

Facilities across the country had already begun complying when the new rules took effect earlier this year. But instead of building on that progress, Chairman @BrendanCarrFCC abruptly issued a two-year delay, citing vague “negative, unintended consequences.”.

Last year, @FCC unanimously adopted the Martha Wright-Reed Just & Reasonable Communications Act – a major step in lowering the cost of staying connected behind bars. The new rules capped video & phone calls rates, and cut excessive fees from prisons and jails nationwide.

If we are serious about creating real second chances, we must remove the financial barriers that prevent people from moving forward. 📊Does your state bill people for their time behind bars? Find out via @Axios:

Whether someone’s trying to clear their record or get off probation, the road to rebuilding is too often blocked by fines and fees. With limited job options & no savings, paying this debt is nearly impossible. Those who can’t pay risk more fees, arrest, and even jail time.

For those reentering society, freedom comes with strings attached. Nearly every state allows jails & prisons to bill people for their own incarceration. From room & board to medical costs, these #PayToStay fees tether people to the system they’ve already paid their debt to.

If signed into law, the #RoadToOpportunity Act will end debt-based suspensions & help thousands get back on the road to stability. We proudly stand with @NCLC4consumers, @ACLU_Mass, @BostonLegalAid, & dozens more partners to end this unjust practice. 💡

🎉 Big news! @BOSCityCouncil passed a resolution backing the #RoadToOpportunityAct, a major step toward ending MA’s debt-based license suspensions. This momentum follows a hearing before the state’s Joint Committee on Transportation where FFJC testified in support of this bill.

The #RoadToOpportunityAct is a common-sense solution that would ensure that court debt never decides whether safe drivers are #FreeToDrive. 💡