www.ideas42.org/new-text-message-reminders-summons-recipients-improves-attendance-court-dramatically-cuts-warrants/

SMS reminders from the Office of Court Administration

New York City partnered with behavioral economics firm ideas42 and the University of Chicago Crime Lab to test simple “nudges” to get people to court; text reminders improved appearance rates, resulting in thousands fewer arrest warrants
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Since 2019
In New York City (NYC / New York, NY)
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City of New York

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SMS reminders from the Office of Court Administration
Org. type: Government / public sector
Categories: Behavioral economics programs, Govtech, Open justice, Organize campaigns, SMS tools, The Tech

Evidence of impact:

  • A system of text-message reminders that alerted New York City residents with criminal summonses when they needed to show up in court, what nonprofit developer Ideas42 called a “small nudge,” cut the number of people who fail to show up by 13 percent (the program’s initial trial run has since been expanded citywide). (Source, 2019-7)

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Last modified: Nov 12, 2025 Added: Jun 22, 2021

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