Defendant Payment Notification - Riverside Superior Court

Overview/Program Description:

The court started this program in January 2013. The court uses technology that reads billing statements created by the court collection system in criminal, traffic, and juvenile delinquency cases and sends text message or e-mail notification reminders to defendants and wards. The program requires the defendant, ward, or court customer to opt-in to the process. The opt-in process allows the court to receive contact information and permission to send text messages or e-mails. Notifications are sent two weeks before each payment is due to the court.

The court is using its collections system to provide statements and is interfacing with a web-based program and server to maintain the Opt-In database, send notifications, and track messages sent.

Program Benefits/Savings:

The number of defendants opting-in for these notifications currently is not as robust as the court would like to see, but more defendants are expected to participate in the future. Presently, the electronic notification is in addition to the monthly paper notifications, so there has not been a reduction in staff resources. Staff has not at this time reduced routine contact with the debtors as a result of this program. Collections have increased overall, but there is no specific indication that collections have been greatly affected by the Defendant Notification System alone.