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Can text messages reduce incarceration in rural and vulnerable populations?

Author

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  • Emily Owens
  • CarlyWill Sloan

Abstract

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.

Suggested Citation

  • Emily Owens & CarlyWill Sloan, 2023. "Can text messages reduce incarceration in rural and vulnerable populations?," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 42(4), pages 992-1009, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:wly:jpamgt:v:42:y:2023:i:4:p:992-1009
    DOI: 10.1002/pam.22505
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Oludamilare Aboaba & Aaron Chalfin & Michael LaForest‐Tucker & Lucie Parker & Patrick Sharkey, 2026. "Can Crime Be Deterred at Low Cost? Evidence From a Randomized Experiment in New York," Journal of Policy Analysis and Management, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 45(2), March.

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