Timeline of Advancing Financial Justice in San Francisco

Oct
2016
May
2017

Announced Recommendations of the Fines and Fees Task Force with a report and presentation to the Board of Supervisors.

Released “Do the Math: Money Bail Doesn’t Add Up for San Francisco” and present findings to Board of Supervisors.

Jun
2017
Jan
2018

Worked with SFMTA to introduce new low-income payment plan to reduce fees charged to low-income people enroll in payment plans and community service.

Worked with Supervisor London Breed, the SF Public Defender, and others to introduce legislation to become first in the nation to eliminate all locally charged criminal justice administrative fees.

Feb
2018
May
2018
Aug
2018

Courts approved petition to lift $33 million in debt from 21,000stemming from criminal justice administrative fees.

Nov
2018
Jan
2019
  • Released “Long Overdue,” detailing the impact of overdue library fines and recommendations for reform.
  • Library votes to end use of overdue fines, clear $1.5 million in debt, restore library cards for 17,000 library patrons.
  • California State Senator Holly Mitchell introduced the Families Over Fees Act, SB 144, to eliminate administrative fees in the court and criminal justice systems.

Worked with the Human Services Agency to launch an income verification tool, creating a streamlined process for departments to verify eligibility for income-based discounts.

Mar
2019
Apr
2019
May
2019
Jun
2019

Announced commitment to stop generating revenue from incarcerated people and their support networks, free jail phone calls and an end to markups on commissary items, saving low-income San Franciscans $1.7 million each year.

Dec
2019

San Francisco District Attorney announced the end of money bail in San Francisco, citing the Financial Justice Report: Do the Math, Money Bail Doesn’t Add Up for San Francisco as part of the rational for reform.

Jan
2020
Apr
2020
  • Released compilation of fine and fee relief actions taken by the City and County of San Francisco in light of the COVID-19 health and economic crisis.
  • SFMTA creates deeper discounts on towing and booting fees for low-income people, expands access to free Muni.
  • Released report Driving Toward Justice, an analysis showing there has been no impact on court collections after the court stopped suspending driver’s license for failure to pay.
  • Partnered with SaverLife to conduct a survey on the impact of fines and fees on Californians, finding that 54% say fines and fees caused a financial hardship.
  • Released three-minute video: Everything You Think You Know About California Child Support is Probably Wrong, narrated by W. Kamau Bell and Robert Reich, in partnership with the Truth & Justice In Child Support Coalition.
  • Launched the inaugural class of Cities and Counties for Fine and Fee Justice with 10 cities and counties selected to participate following a national competitive process for localities committed to advancing fine and fee reforms.
May
2020
Jul
2020
  • The San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passed an ordinance to prevent the City and County from profiting off of incarcerated people. 
  • San Francisco Board of Supervisors unanimously passes resolution to  affirm commitment to fine and fee justice in the City and County’s annual budget.
  • Free phone calls in San Francisco County jails go into effect, increasing call volume by 41 percent overnight.
  • Released new research on how California jails and youth lockups profit off of incarcerated people and their families, in partnership with the Young Women’s Freedom Center and the Children’s Defense Fund of California.
Aug
2020
Sep
2020

California becomes first state in the nation to repeal criminal administrative fees and debt by signing the Families Over Fees Act (AB 1869). The Debt Free Justice CA Coalition championed this reform that ends the assessment and collection of 23 criminal administrative fees and lifts $16 billion of largely uncollectible debt from people with low incomes.

Launched MyCitations, a new online tool in SF Superior Court for people struggling with traffic court debt. Applicants receive discounts based on their ability to pay.

Dec
2020
Feb
2021

Released Justice is Calling, an issue brief on San Francisco’s reforms to put people over profits, make jail phone calls free, and end commissary markups.

Director of Financial Justice Project, Anne Stuhldreher, launches OVERCHARGED, a series of monthly columns in CalMatters.

Mar
2021
May
2021

Launched the Commissary Allowance Program to provide a $10 monthly allowance for indigent people incarcerated in San Francisco County Jails to purchase essential nutrition and hygiene items from the jail store. Created in partnership with the Sheriff’s Office and SF Jail Justice Coalition.

Jun
2021
Aug
2021

Results for America publishes case study on the SF Financial Justice Project on how we reform excessive fines and fees in San Francisco and describes how other governments can do the same.

Sep
2021
Oct
2021

Advocacy with the Debt Free Justice California Coalition results in Governor Gavin Newsom signing AB 177, a bill that abolishes and eliminates debt from 17 fees charged to people in the criminal legal system. The bill lifts an estimated $534 million in debt off of struggling Californians.

The Metropolitan Transportation Commission (MTC) significantly reduces bridge toll violation penalties from $25 to $5 for the first notice and from $70 to $15 for the second notice after years of advocacy.

Dec
2021
Feb
2022

Launched a new two-minute video to advertise the new Text-Before-Tow Program launched by the SFMTA to alert people before a car is towed.

 

Mar
2022
May
2022

SFMTA launches CONNECT program to to allow people experiencing homelessness to earn credit toward their parking tickets ($17 per hour) by receiving social service assistance.

Launched the second leadership network of Cities and Counties for Fine and Fee Justice, which includes six local jurisdictions committed to advance fine and fee reforms.

Aug
2022
Sep
2022

San Francisco Superior Court eliminates $50 million in outstanding debt for tens of thousands of local residents who owe $300 late fees on traffic court tickets.

Oct
2022
Dec
2022

Released preliminary results of the Be The Jury Pilot Program which demonstrate significant progress in expanding racial and economic diversity of San Francisco juries.

Launched a 3-month, multi-media campaign to spread awareness about local fine and fee discounts.

Feb
2023
Mar
2023

New child-friendly visiting room opens at the San Francisco jail with aim to reduce intergenerational incarceration, increase family bonds, and reduce recidivism.

Launched the nation’s first tablet program that provides completely free tablet computers with no hidden costs to all people incarcerated in the local jails.

May
2023
Jun
2023

Released issue brief: Incarceration Without Exploitation that explains how San Francisco eliminated steep price markups in the jail commissary store to lift a financial burden off families and incarcerated people. 

Aug
2023
Dec
2023

The California Truth and Justice in Child Support Coalition  celebrates 62,000 California parents relieved from $500 million in burdensome child support debt owed to the government, after years of advocacy.

Published Better for Everyone: Repairing Harm for Crime Survivors and Young People, a report about San Francisco's AFTER Program (Aims to Foster Transformation & Ensure Restitution), one of the first efforts in the country to pilot an alternative to the traditional restitution process.

Jan
2024
May
2024

A new California policy prohibits the government from intercepting child support payments intended for families who formerly received CalWORKs benefits, in response to years of advocacy from the Truth and Justice in Child Support Coalition and others.