Beware the Fine Print

The Costs of Fines and Fees in Nebraska Juvenile Court

The youth justice system in Nebraska promotes community safety, healing, and rehabilitation
no matter the family’s income – and yet, too frequently in Nebraska, system-involved youth and their families suffer from the discriminatory and harmful practice of court debt. Court-imposed costs, like fees and fines, create arbitrary barriers to justice and are particularly harmful to impoverished youth and families. 

This issue brief will highlight where and how those costs are imposed, how they challenge system-involved youth and families, and recommendations for systemic change.

By Katie Nungesser and Josh Shirk, Voices for Children in Nebraska,
and Raymond Durham, National Center for Youth Law