The questions people ask are often immediate and practical: When is my next court date? Which courthouse do I need to go to? What happens if I miss my court date? How can I get in contact with my attorney? Will I be arrested if I go to address a warrant?

Those questions matter, and so does the way they are answered. Outreach focuses on plain language, timely information, and individualized communication that helps people make a plan based on what’s next in their case. When people know the date, time, and location of court, understand what to expect, and have a place to call with questions, they are in a much better position to meet their court obligations.

"We are here to help. A lot of people confuse us with the courts, so they may be afraid to talk to us or come into the conversation upset. We want people to know we are here to help them, not work against them." - Outreach Associate Jacqueline

What impact does Outreach have on the criminal justice system?

Research shows that pretrial court-date notifications can significantly reduce failure to appear, as well as the negative consequences that stem from bench warrants. Research consistently finds that reminders sent by text, phone, mail, or email are associated with a 20% to 40% reduction in missed court dates. The strongest evidence suggests that reminders work best when they are clear, written in plain language, and help people make a concrete plan to get to court.

New York City and CJA Outreach have produced some of the clearest local evidence that not only do court date reminders work, but that extended followups and personal connections can further the success. In NYC summons cases, text-message reminders reduced failure to appear by as much as 26%, or about 3,700 fewer arrest warrants per year. CJA’s Court Appearance Pilot Project (the predecessor to CASU) showed the additional value of more personalized outreach for people at elevated risk of missing court. People who were not recommended for ROR on CJA's Release Assessment but were still released were provided with more in depth notifications and support, research found:

10.4% of participants in the pilot received a warrant at their first post-arraignment appearance, compared with 14.4% in the control group
One analysis found a 15.2% failure-to-appear rate for participants compared with 22.4% for the control group.

Analysis of Outreach program data suggests that a combination of basic reminders and more hands-on engagement can make a measurable difference in helping people return to court and avoid the serious consequences of a missed appearance.

Related Content