Stoneleigh Youth Advocacy Fellow Aqilah David co-authored a report on the current state of juvenile system fees and fines in Pennsylvania.
From 2018-mid 2024, Pennsylvania juvenile courts assessed children and families over 12 million dollars in fees and almost 2 million dollars in fines. New data collected by Juvenile Law Center and presented in the report shows that while counties vary widely in their assessment and collection of fees and fines, most counties are unable to collect a significant portion of the costs assessed. Further, the money collected makes up a minuscule part of county budgets. However, the negative impact on children and families is significant—fees and fines pull youth further into the justice system and create economic distress.
