Eliminating fees in the Alameda County juvenile justice system meaningfully reduced financial burdens on families

In the American criminal-legal system, monetary sanctions are the most ubiquitous form of punishment. They are imposed for every level of offense, across all levels of government, and in every type of jurisdiction. In the juvenile justice system, there are three types of monetary sanctions with different functions: (1) fines are meant to punish, (2) restitution is meant to compensate a victim for harm, and (3) fees are meant to offset administrative costs.