Study: Text reminders to South Bay public defender clients reduced jail time from court no-shows

"Sending text message reminders to indigent South Bay defendants reduced jailings for missed court appearances by at least 20%, according to a new study by researchers at Stanford, Harvard and New York universities that devised an automated system to help people remember their court dates. The study, which involved thousands of people represented by the Santa Clara County Public Defender's Office, contends that missed court appearances more often than not the product of simple forgetfulness and a lack of familiarity with court procedure, rather than acts of defiance."

"Acting Public Defender Damon Silver said the text-messaging study is an example of a common-sense measure that accounts for the practical obstacles that his office's clients often face. They are people operating on the edge of being overwhelmed anyway: people who are usually financially stressed, often struggling with employment, and meeting the basic necessities of life, if not also struggling with issues such as mental health challenges and substance abuse challenges, Silver said."

"He added: These results speak to the fact that if you actually believe in people and take very small steps to invest in their success, more often than not they're going to deliver. If we approach people in a supportive fashion and less a threatening fashion, we can achieve the results we want."

Automated text message reminders sent to indigent South Bay defendants reduced jailings for missed court appearances by at least 20%. The intervention targeted 5,709 public defender clients split roughly in half between a control group and recipients of automated scheduled messages. Missed appearances were more often the product of forgetfulness and a lack of familiarity with court procedure rather than acts of defiance. Average marginal cost was roughly $60 per defendant per case, making the intervention relatively inexpensive. Addressing cognitive and informational barriers can improve attendance more effectively than punitive measures. Many clients face financial stress, employment instability, and mental health or substance abuse challenges.

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