In 2019, only 11% - or $547,973 - of the $5.1 million assessed against youth was collected. Fee debt imposed on children and their families is uncollectible - whether by governments or private debt collectors.The immense debt that youth incur on account of these fees obliterates their future prospects while driving them, and their families, deeper into poverty.These fees include: court administration fees, medical care costs, public defender fees, probation supervision fees, the costs of detention, and surcharges. Florida charges children, young people, and their families 31 different fees and costs for their involvement in the juvenile system - regardless of guilt or innocence.Using county-level and statewide data, the report highlights the futility of both government, and private collection efforts, arguing that the costs of fee assessment and collection far outweigh the meager revenue received from such efforts. It also shows how the accumulation of fee debt is particularly damaging for Black youth and youth in the child welfare system. This report outlines the catastrophic consequences of juvenile fee debt for Florida’s children, families, and economy including: increased poverty, increased recidivism, and the exacerbation of racial disparities in the justice system.

Together, these fees are quietly leading our youth, and their families, down a path of inescapable debt and poverty. Florida law authorizes 31 different court fees, costs and surcharges to be imposed on youth and their families. Every young person who comes into contact with Florida’s courts - regardless of guilt or innocence - is saddled with fees.

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