Debtors’ Prison for Kids: The High Cost of Fines and Fees in the Juvenile Justice System
Join WHYY and Juvenile Law Center for an important conversation about the financial penalties placed on children and families—and the growing movement to end them.
WHYY's esteemed correspondent Cherri Gregg will moderate a conversation between Jessica Feierman, report author and Juvenile Law Center's Chief Legal Officer and Dequan Jackson, a professional football player who experienced these harmful fees as a child and later advocated for change on the harsh practice of doubly punishing children and families.
Come learn, listen, and be part of the conversation about transforming a juvenile justice system that is currently failing and harming children. What happens when justice comes with a bill? When a child enters the juvenile justice system, the consequences can extend far beyond courtrooms and detention centers. In many states, children and their families can be ordered to pay for the cost of prosecution, incarceration, court administration, electronic monitoring, diversion programs, and even legal representation.
For families already facing financial hardship, these costs can create a devastating cycle of debt and impossible choices: Do you pay the rent or a court fee? Buy groceries or pay for an ankle monitor? And when families cannot afford to pay, children may face longer periods of probation or incarceration—deepening their involvement in the justice system.
Ten years ago, Juvenile Law Center brought national attention to this issue with its groundbreaking report, Debtors’ Prison for Kids: The High Cost of Fines and Fees in the Juvenile Justice System. Since then, Juvenile Law Center and its partners have worked to eliminate these harmful practices in 23 states. But the fight is far from over.
Together, they will explore the harsh reality of financially penalizing children, the progress made over the past decade, and what it will take to ensure that a child's involvement in the juvenile justice system doesn't become a lifetime of debt.
