The End Criminal Justice Debt Campaign is a statewide effort to end the criminalization of poverty by eliminating harmful court fines, fees, and other forms of criminal legal debt that trap people in cycles of poverty and punishment.
Since 1999, the number of criminal court fees in North Carolina has increased from 4 to 45 while the base cost for use of court has risen from $61 to $176. For many North Carolinians, these costs and fees are simply unaffordable and can lead to devastating consequences, including Driver’s License suspension, extended community supervision, additional financial penalties, and in some cases, incarceration.
Rather than considering a person’s ability to pay, courts often assess mandatory costs and then impose additional penalties when those financial obligations cannot be met. This practice disproportionately impacts low-income communities and communities of color and creates never-ending barriers to economic stability, employments, housing, and successful reentry.
Forward Justice serves as an anchor organization of the North Carolina Fines and Fees Coalition, a statewide coalition of directly-impacted community members, advocacy organizations, attorneys, and researchers working to end criminal justice debt and implement policy alternatives that promote economic stability, racial justice, and community well-being.
Here’s What We’re Doing
In February 2020, The North Carolina Fines and Fees Coalition and the Aspen Institute Financial Security Program convened more than 100 community members, advocates, researchers, judges, policymakers, and national experts for a two-day statewide convening. Centering the experiences of people directly impacted by criminal justice debt, the convening was the official launch of the End Criminal Justice Debt Campaign. The campaign aims to identify actionable, evidence-based solutions that address the harmful impacts of court fines and fees and identify innovative ideas to implement change in North Carolina.
In May 2020, we held a virtual followup event to discuss the impact that COVID-19 had on individuals’ ability to pay court fines and fees, and highlighted ways to advocate for emergency relief measures to reduce the burden of criminal legal debt during the public health emergency.
Today, Forward Justice continues to facilitate monthly meetings with the NC Fines and Fees Coalition to discuss and implement effective advocacy strategies, public education, and research to address the unaffordable costs, fines, and fees in the criminal court system.
Learn more about the campaign, resources, coalition, and current advocacy efforts by visiting the End Criminal Justice Debt Website
