The Chicago Fines, Fees & Access Collaborative

(2018 - 2019)

CURL is a member of the Chicago City Clerk Task Force that has been looking at problematic municipal fines and fees and their impact on Chicago residents, especially on low-income and working residents. Findings from the participatory action research conducted by COFI in partnership with CURL along with research from the Woodstock Institute, sparked a series of articles by ProPublica and WBEZ revealing extensive research into Chicago’s problematic ticketing process. The City Clerk launched the Fines, Fees & Access Collaborative – an alliance of community organizations, City Departments, elected officials, advocacy centers, and academic institutions (including LUC CURL) – to review and reform the City’s fines, fees, and collection practices.  Here is the report from the Task Force which includes CURL’s analysis on page 9.  Students from the Urban Studies capstone course were involved in this project as their research endeavor.

Report:

• Advancing Equity: First Steps Towards Fines & Fees Reform in Chicago

Research Team:

• C. George, CURL

• S. Carlson, Urban Studies Student

• M. Porter, Urban Studies Student

Community Partners:

• COFI

• Chicago City Clerk