FINES AND FEES REFORM

Learn more ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN TO END DEBTORS' PRISON
A digital graphic with a yellow background and black border. Inside, a white box with a rounded corner contains text and an icon of a lit lightbulb. The text reads 'DID YOU KNOW? 85% of defendants in Delaware courts are indigent (represented by the Public Defender's Office), the fees extract money from those least able to afford it and disproportionately impact low income Delawareans and communities of color.'

Fines and fees reform is urgently needed in Delaware. Every year, thousands of Delawareans face court-imposed debt that can lead to devastating consequences. These financial penalties often have little to do with public safety and everything to do with perpetuating poverty, especially in marginalized communities. Rather than serving justice, the current system fuels a cycle of debt and punishment.

Reforming this system is essential to building a fairer, more effective, and more humane justice system for all Delawareans. We have been working diligently with stakeholders to establish an ability to pay process for the courts and eliminate court-imposed fees. Click the buttons below to learn more.


Read the Ability to Pay One-Pager
Read the Fund Stabilization One-Pager