Dear Senator,

As a concerned citizen, I urge you to support reforming state laws related to juvenile court debt.

Michigan juvenile courts are permitted, and in some cases required, to charge and collect a variety of fees from youth involved in delinquency proceedings, regardless of the young person’s age. Mandatory fees include costs for detention and residential placements, and discretionary fees include, but are not limited to, attorney fees, probation supervision costs, and costs of services (such as electronic monitors or counseling). Despite existing law and court rules that put limited guardrails in place to standardize the assessment and collection processes, counties use varying practices.

The result is exceedingly high fees for families in some regions of the state. We have learned that these fees can devastate a family’s finances, with bills that can accrue for years after the young person leaves the juvenile justice system.

These costs do not improve public safety and may actually harm the child's future by putting them under increased financial stress or keeping them under court supervision for a longer period of time. Additionally, fines and fees have been linked to increased recidivism among justice-involved youth.

I was pleased to see that the Michigan Task Force on Juvenile Justice Reform

included in their report and recommendations published in July 2022 recommendation number 15 – “Eliminate most non-restitution fees and costs associated with the juvenile justice system involvement.” This recommendation had unanimous support from a bipartisan group of leaders and professionals who made up the Task Force and highlights the broad support for this policy change.

Sixteen states have taken measures to reform juvenile court debt. Similar legislation has also been proposed in ten other states. It’s time for Michigan to do the same. I am calling on you, as state leaders, to reduce harm to youth and families by supporting juvenile court debt reform.

I urge you to take up SB 0428 - 0431 for a vote in the Senate Civil Rights, Judiciary, and Public Safety Committee.