When kids are locked up in California, it’s common practice for counties to charge families for the cost of their kids’ detention. Parents are sent a bill, not unlike one they’d get if their child were staying at a hotel, for $25 a day that their kids are held in juvenile hall. At an average stay of 23 days in juvenile hall, the fees add up fast. But that’s not all.
Fees are involved at nearly every step of kids’ adjudication, detainment and probation. It’s an expensive process, and fee collectors still come calling for their money even if a child passes away, according to a new investigation by Youth Radio. Check out the full infographic of the many costly fees and fines that accompany kids’ punishment: