Sometimes the court will defer the fees, sometimes they will waive them entirely. It's largely up to the individual judge to exercise his or her discretion in each case. Some judges are known for waiving fees - some are not.

I agree with you that charging people money for the service of being under court supervision is largely detrimental. It puts an extra burden on a person who is still struggling.

I know a man who was sentenced to 5 years of court supervision. He has to submit to drug and alcohol testing weekly and pay all the fees associated with that supervision - for 5 years! He's been a model of cooperation the entire time. He has his own place to live, has a stable job, doesn't get into any trouble or do anything he isn't supposed to. He's been under supervision for 3 years already with 0 failed drug tests.

One week, his test was diluted. This can (and did) happen from drinking a lot of water. This particular man drinks a lot of water regularly. His judge promised that if his test is diluted one more time, she will send him back to prison. Now, he makes a point to NOT drink much water at all.

In the meantime, he still has to pay for the supervision.