Overview

As part of the Pretrial Justice Collaborative, the MDRC Center for Criminal Justice Research conducted a randomized controlled trial comparing remote pretrial supervision (phone or virtual check-ins only) with hybrid pretrial supervision (a mix of phone and in-person check-ins) in the Queens Supervised Release program, operated by the New York City Criminal Justice Agency. Results showed that remote supervision was as effective as hybrid supervision in terms of clients’ court appearance and avoidance of new felony arrests, and actually improved their supervision attendance and compliance. The final study report concluded that remote supervision should be adopted more broadly, in line with the least-restrictive-conditions standard required by our nation’s bail laws, which holds that courts should use the least restrictive conditions necessary to reasonably ensure individuals return to court and do not incur any new arrests while their cases are pending.

Remote supervision may benefit clients through reduced burdens and costs related to the transportation requirements associated with in-person check-ins and could also improve clients’ ability to simultaneously manage other responsibilities, such as work, childcare, and school. Supervision-provider agencies may see benefits of remote supervision in the form of reduced administrative and operational costs given the decreased need for meeting space, ease of scheduling and rescheduling check-ins, and decreased time spent on reporting noncompliance to the court. Thus, as a next step toward building evidence regarding the use of remote supervision, the MDRC Center for Criminal Justice Research will conduct a formal benefit-cost analysis, to convert to monetary amounts the various costs and benefits of remote versus pretrial supervision. This analysis will provide valuable evidence to jurisdictions considering adopting remote supervision practices.