Text Message Court Notifications

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Issue Areas

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Missed court dates occur in more than 17% of all criminal cases, with each missed appearance costing the justice system roughly $1,500. This results in additional paperwork for court clerks, lost time for judges and attorneys, and resources wasted on law enforcement.

Improved court appearance rates would lead to fewer warrants and arrests, reducing strain on law enforcement and freeing up resources for more serious public safety priorities.

THE SOLUTION

Text message-based notification programs send victims, witnesses, and notifications prior to their court date. This increases court participation, reduces failures to appear, and frees up resources for law enforcement and court administrators.

HOW IT WORKS

Each state sets up a text notification system, depending on its existing technology and case management systems, utilizing approaches such as:

All defendants, victims, and witnesses are included in a notification program, receiving text-message notifications before their court dates, similar to notifications received before a doctor’s appointment.

They have the option to opt-out of receiving the notifications, typically by replying “Stop”.

WHY IT MATTERS

Decreasing failures to appear means:

Court clerks issue fewer warrants or rescheduled cases, reducing administrative workload.

Judges and attorneys save valuable time previously lost waiting for absent parties
in court.

Law enforcement resources are freed up, as fewer officers are required to arrest individuals who fail to appear.

A proposed $600,000 investment in a New York City text-based reminder system could potentially save taxpayers more than $29M every year.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Court notification programs help ensure people show up by providing timely reminders. This saves taxpayer money and makes the justice system fairer and more efficient for everyone involved.

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