Into the Deep End

Debt Penalty

There are over 700,000 people in the state of Florida who currently have a suspended license, not for unsafe driving, but because of unpaid court debts. At the same time, in the 2021-2022 fiscal year there was over 3 million dollars in criminal court debt sitting in collections from Alachua County Clerk of Courts. This is all a small part of the Fines and Fees system, a system that burdens people returning home from incarceration with significant debt and even more significant consequences for not being able to afford it. On this episode of "Into the Deep End", we are joined by Sarah Couture of the Fines and Fees Justice Center and our co-fellow, Kelly Lynch. Sarah talks about her advocacy work and gives wonderful insight on the systemic burdening of Floridians with court debts and its impact. Kelly’s been impacted by fines and fees personally, she talks to us about her personal experience, how it impacted her life and recovery and our campaign's local efforts.