Heavy Burdens: The Weight of Juvenile Fees and Fines in the Keystone State
This report describes 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. This report encourages Pennsylvania to join the 24 other states around the country who have eliminated some or all juvenile fees and fines.
Work on this project was made possible with support from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies and Ballmer Group. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies and Ballmer Group.
