Administrative Fees

Right now, California law charges administrative fees to people who come in contact with the criminal justice system, including fees for public defenders, booking, mandatory drug testing, and costs related to a person’s incarceration and probation supervision, like electronic monitoring. These administrative fees—which can quickly add up to thousands of dollars —are not supposed to be punitive or restorative. They are supposed to help counties recoup costs. But they are essentially another form of punishment that disproportionately impacts communities of color and low-income communities, driving people deeper into poverty and further entangling them in the criminal system because people can’t afford to pay. SB 824 will eliminate these fees and make sure California stops using the criminal justice system to generate revenue on the backs of California’s most vulnerable families. 

Sponsors: ACLU of California, A New Way of Life, Anti-Recidivism Coalition, East Bay Community Law, Ella Baker Center, Homeboy Industries, Insight Center for Community Economic Development, PolicyLink, San Fancisco Financial Justice Project, San Francisco Public Defender’s Office, Western Center on Law and Poverty, Youth Justice Coalition – Los Angeles, Legal Services for Prisoners with Children, and All of Us or None.