An Experimental and Survey Analysis of Economic Sanctions in Centre County, Pennsylvania

This study comprises two parts: (1) an experimental analysis of whether reminders about payment and reasons why payment should be made are effective in getting offenders to pay their court-ordered economic sanctions; and (2) a survey of probationers who were ordered to pay economic sanctions that investigated five reasons why offenders may not pay their court-ordered restitution: inability to pay, not knowing what they owe, disagreeing with the purpose and fairness of restitution, perceived unfair treatment by the probation officer, and problems with the mechanics of paying. A sample of 771 probationers was selected from Centre County, Pennsylvania. All individuals included in the sample had an outstanding restitution balance. The experiment addressed two reasons offenders give for why they do not pay their court-ordered restitution: (a) lack of understanding of how much they owe and where their payments are directed and (b) a belief that the sanctions are unfair. A total of 771 offenders were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a 2 x 2 between-subjects design in which, over a 6-month period in 2012, three quarters of the offenders received monthly letters that contained (a) information or no information about the economic sanctions they had paid and what they still owed (Information manipulation) and (b) a statement or no statement about reasons for paying restitution (Rationale manipulation). The remaining offenders did not receive a letter. Payments were tracked monthly for 6 months after the first letter was sent, and at 9, 12, and 18 months after the first letter, using the Pennsylvania Unified Judicial System website. The survey of the same probationers was administered approximately 14 months after the first letter was sent (8 months after the final letter). Of the 771 offenders, 149 returned a completed survey.