The Role of Information in Changing Offender Behavior, Criminal Justice System Actions, and Policy Maker Decisions

Abstract

F l o r i d a S t a t e U n i v e r s i t yI n Ruback, Gladfelter, and Lantz's (2014, this issue) study, we learn something simple and profound-that providing probationers with basic information about their restitution payment obligations, such as how much they owe, increases the likelihood that they will make payments. The benefits (i.e., increased payments) seem to exceed greatly the labor time and postage costs of providing restitution information to probationers.There is, of course, the question of why. Perhaps the letters reminded probationers of their obligation and led them to view restitution as the morally right thing to do. Perhaps, more simply, the letters reminded them of what they were supposed to do and provided pragmatic information on which they could act (e.g., the amount due and where to send payments). The latter explanation seems the most plausible. For example, as part of the experimental design, the researchers provided one group with the information along with a rationale for why the probationers should pay. Including the rationale did not seem to lead to more payments and, indeed, could have reduced them. (Probationers might have resented being told what to do or the idea that they were being judged.)Many interesting implications flow from this study. For example, what if providing information can change probationer behavior more so than can threats? What if sanctions were structured in ways that did not rest solely on the notion of fear (i.e., deterrence), moral change, or rehabilitation, but rather the sanctions included a focus on providing information about obligations associated with probation? Even a small improvement might provide benefits that have ripple effects throughout the correctional system. For example, a considerable number of individuals in prison today are there because they previously had a "shot" at probation and failed in some way (e.g., through new crimes or violations of the

Navigating the Monetary Sanctions Maze: Understanding and Confusion Among Criminal Legal Debtors

“…As some have pointed out (Mears, 2014;Ruback et al, 2006Ruback et al, , 2014, the way that debtors react to monetary sanctions is largely determined by the information they possess. That is to say, the precision and nature of their understanding about their individual debts and the ostensible purposes LFOs serve within the criminal legal system play a key role in shaping their attitudes and behavioral responses.…”

The Lived Experience of Youth Justice Policy: Responsibilization in a Carceral State

“…It is difficult to know the sequence of events that resulted in Jeffery's transfer; however, had Jeffrey been more informed when he first entered the system, would it have averted the escalation of his behaviour, and could the transfer to a more intrusive, secure setting have been avoided? The positive impact the provision of basic information could have on the outcome of individuals on probation is noted by Mears (2014): "Providing information to people and, at the same time, making it easy for them to act on the information can produce socially desirable behavior changes" (p.442).…”

The Lived Experience of Youth Justice Policy: Responsibilization in a Carceral State

“…It is difficult to know the sequence of events that resulted in Jeffery's transfer; however, had Jeffrey been more informed when he first entered the system, would it have averted the escalation of his behaviour, and could the transfer to a more intrusive, secure setting have been avoided? The positive impact the provision of basic information could have on the outcome of individuals on probation is noted by Mears (2014): "Providing information to people and, at the same time, making it easy for them to act on the information can produce socially desirable behavior changes" (p.442).…”