The Charlie Brown Effect — A Criminal Justice System Problem
Have you ever been pulled over and cited for speeding or running a stop sign? Do you remember how you felt or what you were thinking? Were you able to remember anything the officer told you about what you needed to do next? If you are like most people, you forgot everything the officer said as soon as you pulled away and you had to look at the ticket when you got home. And even then, you were still probably confused about what you had to do or where you had to go to pay the ticket. I call this the Charlie Brown effect. “Wah wah wah wah wah.” This is what you heard when you were handed the ticket and what most people hear when they are put on probation.
It’s no secret that pleading guilty to a crime and being placed on probation can be incredibly stressful. Oftentimes, defendants miss half of what the Judge says during sentencing, which can result in them not having a clear understanding of the terms of their probation. This lack of understanding can have dire consequences for both the defendants and our communities.
Thus, it is incumbent upon the Courts to make sure that defendants understand the terms of their probation after they plead guilty and to provide them with all necessary information before they leave the courthouse. This simple step can help reduce recidivism rates and ensure that probationers are given a real opportunity to succeed — something that benefits everyone in the long run.
Unfortunately, this is often not the case. Typically, the defendants are handed a few pieces of paper after being placed on probation and expected to report to at least one more location before the end of the day. The defendants, however, may be so overwhelmed that they can’t remember what the Judge said at sentencing. And it’s so busy in court that there is no time to ask the Judge or lawyer to explain it to them again. The Court has already called the next case. So the defendants are left to search for the information in the poorly designed forms that have been used for the past 10 years and hope they don’t miss anything. There has got to be a better way!
Over the next couple of weeks, we will discuss how simple off-the-shelf technologies can be used to redesign this criminal justice workflow. And since I am no longer constrained by a $1000/yr budget, I will start spending more money to make the justice system even more efficient, effective & accessible.
