SJC Exchange Library

The National Guide to Improving Court Appearances: a new resource for courts and their partners, featuring proven and promising ways to improve court appearance rates!

Missed appearances come along with heavy consequences, both for the people who miss and the court system. And that the problem of nonappearance isn't being solved by issuing more bench warrants and higher fines that penalize the vast majority of people who miss court due to reasons like wealth-based hardships, fear, and/or common human error.

Courts and partners around the country are innovating new approaches to move the needle on this stubborn challenge, yet it's hard to find good information on what's being done and what works. Unwarranted combed through the research and identified the most promising ways courts can increase their appearance rates, focusing on lowering the barriers people face. With this report, they aim to support and empower courts to improve court appearance, starting by aligning systems with the realities of people's lives.

Check out the executive summary and the full report.