Fines and Fees Freedom Fund Launch Campaign

The Fines and Fees Freedom Fund is a non-profit organization committed to eliminating poverty-based incarceration. This fund seeks to alleviate the burden of excessive criminal fines and fees on an income driven basis to prevent incarceration for nonpayment. So far, we have successfully canceled 2 warrants.

Lower-income people experience policing at higher rates than the broader population. With fewer resources to contest charges, lower-income individuals are more likely to face criminal conviction than their resource richer counterparts. When someone is convicted of a crime or an offense, they often face immense court-issued fines and fees. Inability to pay these hefty fines and fees leads to even more fines and, in many cases, a warrant for arrest. These additional penalties further drain the pockets of the already under-resourced and exacerbate the conditions that led to the fine in the first place. Paying fines and fees can free people from this vicious cycle and provide the greatest gift of all: a second chance.