Organizations working to end fees and fines imposed on youth in the juvenile court system
Last spring, my partners and I at Faith Coalition for the Common Good (FCCG) and United Congregations of Metro East (UCM), affiliates of the Gamaliel Network of Illinois, met a 15-year-old girl who got into trouble, got arrested, and was prosecuted in juvenile court. The court billed her over $2,000 for administrative fees related to her case.
This placed a tremendous strain on her father, who suffers from a terminal illness and piling medical debt. When he explained their circumstances to the court, the court ordered them to continue payments through an installment plan. This placed the girl in an unimaginable position: every dollar spent towards her court debt is a dollar that could be spent to help sustain her father’s life.
This is one of many stories that community organizers heard during one-on-one meetings with over 100 youth and families across Central and Southern Illinois and Metro East while working to end juvenile court fees and fines with the Debt Free Justice Illinois Coalition and Gamaliel of Illinois and Iowa. Debt Free Justice Illinois is a statewide, bipartisan network of advocacy organizations, community members, academic institutions, and law and public policy experts dedicated to eliminating the unjust fees and fines imposed on youth and their families in the juvenile system. We advocate for economic justice and appropriate rehabilitative programs rather than financial punishment for youth and their families.
I have been organizing for the past year on issues impacting youth and my community. I’m also an undergraduate student at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville majoring in elementary education. Through my work, I have witnessed that when a student gets in trouble and is punished through fees and fines, this economic injustice affects their school performance, mental health, and family.
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My partners and I have been educating communities across Illinois about the disproportionate impact juvenile court fees and fines have on low-income youth of color, rural youth, and their families. We have learned how fees and fines harm not only the child in juvenile court but also the negative impacts on the entire family’s financial and social well-being. Like the 15-year-old's father, a family’s inability to pay juvenile fees and fines can lead to years of escalating debt with added costs and stress from piling invoices and debt collection notices.
In partnership with Debt Free Justice Illinois, we support legislation (Senate Bill 1463 and House Bill 3120) in the General Assembly to eliminate juvenile court fees and fines. This legislation is not related to the SAFE-T Act. It does not impact victims’ restitution or prevent courts from ordering other non-monetary conditions that provide opportunities for young people to take responsibility for their actions. There is no empirical evidence that fees and fines deter crime. In fact, research shows that fees and fines result in risks to public safety by increasing recidivism.
As a community member who is passionate about the well-being of Illinois youth and families, I care about ending juvenile fees and fines because of stories like the 15-year-old's. When Illinois youth make mistakes, they deserve the opportunity to learn, heal, and grow with a debt-free future.
To continue our important work to advance racial and economic systemic justice in Springfield and across Illinois, we are excited to announce Faith Coalition’s spring gala, ‘An Evening of Stars: Celebrating Our Present to Invest in Our Future’ on April 13. Dinner is catered by Boyd’s New Generation Restaurant, drinks by Just Right Mobile Basics Bar. Emceed by Kathryn Harris, performers Jose Gobbo and Reginald Lewis, Mya Williams, and Shatriya Smith will connect the link between art, music, poetry, and justice in our city.
The Spring Gala will be held at the Artisans Building. April 13th, 2023 from 5:30-8 p.m. Tickets: $50; $400 for a table of eight. For tickets, sponsorship information, and ad book information, please visit faithcoalition-il.org/get-involved/april-13-spring-gala or contact (217) 544-2297 or emma@faithcoalition-il.org.
Nylah Brown is a leader with the United Congregations of Metro East, a partner organization of the Faith Coalition for the Common Good and Gamaliel of IL.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Debt Free Justice Illinois Coalition works to end juvenile court fees
