Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey has signed legislation (S-3319/A-5507) aimed at improving the juvenile justice system through the elimination of fines, fees, and costs imposed on system-involved youth and their families.

For over three years, Natalie J. Kraner, senior counsel for the Lowenstein Center for the Public Interest, has been working with the Rutgers Criminal and Youth Justice Clinic under the leadership of Laura Cohen, Juvenile Law Center, State of New Jersey Office of the Public Defender, and New Jersey Institute for Social Justice, advocating for this legislation.

In 2020, the Center helped to pass a bill that eliminated most court-ordered juvenile fines and financial penalties.  The new bill eliminates the few remaining statutory costs and fees not previously covered.

Even more importantly, this new law also applies to past debt: it discharges and vacates any outstanding balances of fines and fees previously assessed against a juvenile or the juvenile’s parent or guardian, as well as any unsatisfied civil judgments based on these monetary penalties. It also vacates any warrants issued for failure to pay or to appear in court to pay the monetary penalties arising from involvement in the juvenile justice system. 

Kraner says, “New Jersey had some of the most punitive fines in the country, and many youth—some as young as 13— and their families owed thousands of dollars they could not afford to pay. The outstanding debt would potentially lead to extended probation, revocation of parole and placement in a facility, civil judgments, the issuance of warrants, and driver’s license suspensions. Moreover, fines and fees disproportionately impacted low-income communities, particularly communities of color, and punished families for their poverty. This new legislation moves us away from this inequitable system.”

In a statement, Governor Murphy declared:  “Eliminating these fees will contribute towards breaking the cycle of poverty that often stems from historically biased institutions. The imposition of fines and fees on justice-involved youth often falls disproportionately on minority and low-income families. I am proud to sign legislation that will further the rehabilitation goals of the juvenile justice system and make New Jersey stronger and fairer for everyone.”

Primary sponsors of the legislation include Senators Nellie Pou, Nia H. Gill, and Assemblymembers Raj Mukherji, Adam J. Taliaferro, and Verlina Reynolds-Jackson.

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