Fines, Fees, and Futures: The Shadow System of Court Debt with Alejandra Davila
Event Type:
- Dialogue, Presentation
- (Online)
Program:
- Process Explorations
Theme:
- Building Alternative Futures
Featuring:
- Alejandra Davila
Organizers:
- Center for Process Studies
What does a government reveal about itself when it balances its budget on the backs of its most vulnerable people? In the United States, 1 in 3 people have experienced court debt—a system that forces individuals to choose between buying groceries and paying the court, between freedom and fairness. The Fines and Fees Justice Center conservatively estimates the national unpaid court debt at a baseline $27.6 billion. The sheer scale of this problem extends past a policy failure, and points to deeper beliefs about accountability, harm, and worthiness.
In this presentation, Alejandra Davila will explore court debt as a living system that perpetuates itself through interconnected cycles of punishment and profit. The presentation will be structured in three parts: Context, Cycles, and Campaigns. Alejandra will briefly trace the history of fines and fees, unpack how court debt sustains and deepens itself across communities, and explore the organizations campaigning to end fees and right-size fines. The session will close with a conversation on the shifts—cultural, political, and relational—that could make a justice system genuinely just.
Featuring
Alejandra Davila
Alejandra Davila is the Budget & Research Analyst at the Fines and Fees Justice Center (FFJC). As a member of the Policy & Research team, she advances legislative and fiscal analysis of fines and fees reform to support local, state, and national advocacy efforts. Prior to joining FFJC, Alejandra was an advocate for students in the juvenile justice system at the National Center for Youth Law. Alejandra graduated with a B.A. from Pomona College and a Master’s Degree of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
RSVP for this Event
Free Online Event
Disclaimer: This event is open to the public and will be recorded. If you choose to enable your camera or participate in any discussions, your voice and likeness will be recorded, and may be posted on the Center for Process Studies websites and social media, or included in CPS materials and/or publications for noncommercial purposes. If you do not want your voice or likeness to be shared in any public venues, please send an email to optout@ctr4process.org.
