News

News  New Text Messaging reminder system for court users is now available across the Commonwealth

This week the new Interactive Text Response System (ITR), which previously alerted probationers of upcoming court dates and meetings, was expanded to non-criminal court departments.
5/06/2021
  • Massachusetts Probation Service

Media Contact   for New Text Messaging reminder system for court users is now available across the Commonwealth

Coria Holland, Communications Director

This new text messaging system originally was designed to reduce the number of warrants issued for “failure to appear” and reduce unnecessary pretrial detention.  This week, the Probate & Family Court and Juvenile Court introduced the reminder system in all divisions, and the Housing Court began a rollout to all of its divisions. The system sends text reminders to participants four days and 12-hour prior to a scheduled court event.

The system was introduced in November throughout the Boston Municipal, District and Superior Courts and more than 40,000 text messages have been sent and have reduced the failure to appear rate. 

Roughly 35 percent of defendants nationwide fail to appear for court dates which can lead to further court involvement or jail time, according to Deputy Commissioner Pamerson Ifill who oversees the Massachusetts Probation Service’s Pretrial Probation Services Division. In the Bay State, 12.6 percent of defendants fail to show up.

“The impact a warrant can have in terms of people being held and detained—even if it is short term— can be disruptive to family, employment, and have that rolling effect that can have a significant impact on people’s lives. It’s a huge move for us here in the Massachusetts Court system. Despite the fact that we don’t have a huge failure to show rate, we still do have pockets,” Deputy Ifill said.

On any given day, there are some 19,000 criminal defendants under pretrial supervision in the Commonwealth. The Massachusetts Probation Service in collaboration with the Trial Court’s Judicial Information Services Department (JISD) was tasked with developing this text notification system as part of the 2018 Criminal Justice Reform passed by the state legislature. Probation also coordinated with the court’s Translation Services to provide texts in the most common languages spoken by court users: Cape Verdean Creole, Chinese, French, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Russian. Probationers, who opt to receive the eReminder text reminders, may receive text messages four days before and 12 hours before their upcoming court date.

Media Contact   for New Text Messaging reminder system for court users is now available across the Commonwealth

  • Massachusetts Probation Service 

    MPS's main goal is to keep communities safe and to provide people on probation with the rehabilitative tools they need to live a productive and law-abiding life.

    Effective Monday, July 20, 2020, the Office of the Commissioner of Probation will be open to the public by appointment only. If you wish to make an appointment or speak with someone regarding sealing or expunging a record or have questions for the Records Unit, please call (617) 557-0225.
  • Help Us Improve Mass.gov  with your feedback

    Please do not include personal or contact information.
    Feedback