Can text messages reduce incarceration in rural and vulnerable populations
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 11684166 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Emily Owens (0000-0002-8908-6001, Criminology, Law and Society, and Economics at University of California – Irvine Irvine California USA, corresponding author), CarlyWill Sloan (West Point University West Point New York USA) |
| Year | 2023 |
| Volume | 42 |
| Issue | 4 |
| Pages | 992-1009 |
| Publication date | 2023-07-13 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Policy Analysis and Management (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0276-8739 • E-ISSN: 1520-6688 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1002/pam.22505 |
| OpenAlex | W4384197572 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 18 |
Reducing failures to appear (FTA) in court is a top priority for criminal justice practitioners and advocates. However, existing work on reducing FTAs through text message reminders focuses on large urban jurisdictions and defendants who are housed. Using a field study in Shasta County, California, we evaluate whether text message outreach can increase court appearances for housed and unhoused populations. We find housed defendants randomly assigned to the treatment group were 10% less likely to miss their next scheduled court date than defendants in the control group. We find no statistical difference in the FTA rate of unhoused individuals assigned to treatment or control groups, and cannot rule out large positive or negative effects. We find that improving the quality of contact information in court records could lead to large reductions in FTAs. Partnering with local social service providers may not, but more research is needed
Business · Control (management · Criminal justice · Criminology · Economic Justice · Internet privacy · Outreach · Political science · Quality (philosophy · Service (business · Text messaging · Work (physics · Computer Science · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis · Engineering · Homelessness and Social Issues · Law · Psychology · Social Work · Marketing
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| Unique citing works | 1 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 1 |
| Citation span | 2026 - 2026 (1) |
| Citation velocity | current |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 1 |