Opportunities to influence behavior through the use of
electronic reminders has not been examined in a criminal justice population. The purpose of this study
was to assess probationer preferences for short-term goals from a web-based
program and evaluate the role of voluntary electronic reminders (e.g., text
messaging, email) in achieving early treatment and probation tasks.
We used data from drug-involved offenders (n=76)
participating in a clinical trial of a 2-session motivational computer program.
As part of the program, participants could choose to receive text or email
reminders about their probation and treatment goals for the next month. Poisson
regression models were utilized to evaluate goal and reminder selection in
relation to the days of substance use and treatment attendance at two-month
follow-up.
The most common goals were related to probation and
treatment tasks, relationships, and cognitive reappraisals. Forty-five percent
of probationers elected to receive electronic goal reminders at Session 1 with
a slight increase at Session two (49%). Probationers who opted to receive
electronic goal reminders at Session one selected significantly more goals on
average (M=4.4, SD=2.1) than probationers who did not want reminders (M=3.4,
SD=1.8), (t=2.41, p=.019). Reminder selection and total number of goals
selected predicted days of substance use and treatment attendance at a
two-month follow-up. Probationers who opted not to receive electronic reminders
and those who only chose to receive reminders at one visit had more days of
substance use compared to those who chose to receive reminders at both visits,
1.66 and 2.31 times respectively. Probationers who chose not to receive
electronic reminders attended 56% fewer days of treatment compared to those who
chose to receive reminders at both visits.
People's choice of short-term goals and reminders can
provide advance notification of the likelihood of substance use and treatment
initiation. Probation systems might use such information to triage at-risk
probationers to a higher level of service, before problems have emerged.
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By:
- 1University of North Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, Fort Worth, TX, United States. Electronic address: sas0502@live.unthsc.edu.
- 2George Mason University, Department of Criminology, Law, and Society, Fairfax, VA, United States.
- 3University of North Texas Health Science Center, School of Public Health, Department of Behavioral and Community Health, Fort Worth, TX, United States.
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