2019 Equal Justice Conference

Across the country, legislators annually close gaps in their budgets by imposing fines and fees on individuals caught up in state and local justice systems. These hidden taxes have become a significant part of state and local government financing but they are harmful and regressive. They exacerbate racial disparities, penalize people for being poor, undercut the integrity of the justice system, and prevent people from escaping poverty. Reform efforts are accelerating. But what are the best governmental policies and practices? Join us in this conversation that can be helpful in your own work and that can also help to align strategic reform initiatives that advocates are pursuing across the country. Panelists and the full group will consider strengths and weaknesses of approaches that include eliminating driver’s license suspensions for failure to pay court debt, making "inability to pay" hearings real, capping municipal revenue from fines and fees, allowing community service, requiring impact statements before adoption of new fines and fees, and more.