"The point is to lift the financial burden from people leaving the criminal justice system, many of whom have low incomes and can’t afford the fees. While not punitive, the fees were intended to cover the costs of criminal justice programs. But the Office of the Treasurer and Tax Collector found that more than 80 percent of the bills went unpaid, so the city received minimal benefit. San Francisco was the first city and county in the country to waive such fees."
San Francisco Chronicle
August 23, 2018