Starting next year, California will ask for less in restitution fines from minors. That’s because Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill this week to reduce the fees, which often go unpaid.
The UC Berkeley Law Policy Advocacy Clinic found only 13% of restitutions ordered by California courts actually get paid. That means crime victims rarely see the money the state says they’re owed — only about a third see any, and most of them don’t get the full amount.
Democratic Assembly Member Mia Bonta says the fines are especially hard for young people to pay.
“It's currently an incredibly broken and failed system where there isn't really meaningful accountability for youth,” she said.
Bonta also said that debt becomes a burden for their families, or follows young people convicted of a crime into adulthood.
“It puts a lot of pressure on people to potentially go for the quick dollar, which is potentially committing another crime,” she said.
The bill had no opposition and will take effect next year.
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