Meta-analysis of Youth and Family Benefits of Fee Repeal and Debt Discharge in the Juvenile Legal System

• In Event: Examining the Impact of Justice System Fee Repeal and Financial Sanctions: A Comprehensive Analysis

Abstract

During the Great Recession, cash-strapped local governments dramatically increased administrative fees charged to youth and families in the juvenile legal system to generate revenue. Until recently, 49 states authorized juvenile fees. In 2017, California enacted the first law in the country repealing juvenile fees statewide. Since then, 22 states and seven localities have eliminated most or all fees in the juvenile system, and many states have discharged outstanding fee debt. This study is a meta-analysis of state-level reforms to measure the number of youth and families impacted by reforms to date and the dollar amounts of fee and debt relief. Preliminary findings from various data sources suggest that reforms have ended more than $28 million imposed on 190,000 youth and families each year, and reform states have discharged $717 million in outstanding fee debt. More state and local research along the lines conducted by other panelists is needed to understand youth- and family-level outcomes of reforms and the implications for the movement for debt-free justice in the juvenile and adult systems.

Author

• Jeff Selbin, University of California, Berkeley