Our Impact
#DebtFreeJustice is calling on local, state, and federal policymakers to end juvenile fees and fines nationwide. To this end, we are committed to:
Ending—not mending—fees and fines
We commit to the complete abolition of all fees and fines imposed on young people and their families.
Centering racial justice
We commit to centering racial justice—and the disproportionate impact that fees and fines have on Black, Brown, and Indigenous people—in all our efforts.
Building grassroots power
We commit to lifting the voices and leadership of young people and their families throughout our campaign.
The Work We Do Together
As a national campaign, we are working together with our partners at the local, state, and federal levels through policy advocacy, litigation, and research.
| State | State Progress | Active Bills | Active Campaigns | Ongoing Cases |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Alaska | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Arizona | Introduced Legislation |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Arkansas | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| California | Eliminated All Fees |
0 |
0 |
1 |
| Colorado | Eliminated All Fees |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Connecticut | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Delaware | Eliminated All Fees and Fines |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Florida | Introduced Legislation |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Georgia | Local Action Taken |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Hawaii | Local Action Taken |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Idaho | Introduced Legislation |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Illinois | Introduced Legislation |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Indiana | Eliminated Some Fees |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Iowa | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Kansas | Introduced Legislation |
1 |
2 |
0 |
| Kentucky | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Louisiana | Eliminated All Fees |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Maine | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Maryland | Eliminated All Fees and Fines |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Massachusetts | No Action Yet |
2 |
0 |
0 |
| Michigan | Introduced Legislation |
5 |
0 |
0 |
| Minnesota | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Mississippi | Introduced Legislation |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Missouri | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Montana | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Nebraska | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Nevada | Eliminated All Fees |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| New Hampshire | Eliminated Some Fees |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| New Jersey | Eliminated All Fees and Fines |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| New Mexico | Eliminated All Fees and Fines |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| New York | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| North Carolina | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| North Dakota | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Ohio | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Oklahoma | Eliminated Some Fees |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Oregon | Eliminated All Fees and Fines |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Pennsylvania | Introduced Legislation |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| Rhode Island | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| South Carolina | Introduced Legislation |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| South Dakota | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Tennessee | Introduced Legislation |
1 |
0 |
0 |
| Texas | Eliminated Some Fees |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Utah | Eliminated Some Fees |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Vermont | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Virginia | Eliminated Some Fees |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Washington | Eliminated Some Fees |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Washington, D.C. | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| West Virginia | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Wisconsin | No Action Yet |
0 |
0 |
0 |
| Wyoming | Local Action Taken |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Behind the Wins
Here are a few noteworthy details behind our success stories:
California
In 2009, the Youth Justice Coalition denounced the Los Angeles County Probation Department’s practice of billing families for their youth’s detention in juvenile hall. About a decade later, tens of thousands of California families were relieved of more than $360 million in juvenile fees, and no counties have reported making programmatic cuts or requesting backfill funding to compensate for lost revenues.
Louisiana
Local advocates, including Ubuntu Village NOLA and Louisiana Center for Children’s Rights, shared the harmful effects of fees on youth and families. Their efforts led to Chief Judge Candice Bates-Anderson of the Orleans Parish Juvenile Court issuing a court resolution ending the charging and collection of all discretionary juvenile fees in 2018 and, three years later, the passage of statewide legislation abolishing all fees for youth in the state.
Maryland
The passage of Maryland’s bill eliminating all juvenile fees and fines was supported by intense lobbying efforts from youth advocates who lobbied in Annapolis, sharing stories of their experiences in the juvenile justice system and the consequences of having to pay fees and fines. After a visit to the capital, youth also did phone banking to ensure the bill’s passage.
“Nickel-and-diming New Mexico families doesn’t solve anything. On the contrary, it … serves only to entrap too many New Mexicans in the criminal justice system.”
—New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, whose state in 2021 eliminated all juvenile fees and fines