Fined Out Logo

Fined Out is a multimedia project that exposes how unjust fines and fees punish poverty to raise revenue—and how communities are fighting back against a system designed to keep them paying.

The quickest way to drive people deeper into poverty is to take their car away. -Joanna Weiss, Fines and Fees Justice Center (FFJC)

ABOUT US

 

Across the United States, millions of people are trapped in a cycle of debt, suspended driver’s licenses, and incarceration simply because they cannot afford to pay a ticket or court fine. These aren’t isolated stories—they’re part of a systemic pattern that disproportionately impacts Black, Brown, and low-income communities, criminalizing people not for their actions, but for their economic status. Through short documentary films, digital storytelling, and grassroots collaboration, Fined Out shares the real stories of people navigating these systems and the growing movement working to change them.

 

Our Team
Let's stop blaming the people who are being victimized by the system. Let's fix the system. - Rubina Mustafa, Detroit Justice Center