Editing Failure to appear (section)

=== Causes of non-appearance ===
Scholars, activists, and practitioners have criticized federal and state laws for operating on the mistaken assumption that most FTAs reflect a conscious decision to abscond.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal |last1=Fishbane |first1=Alissa |last2=Ouss |first2=Aurelie |last3=Shah |first3=Anuj K. |date=2020 |title=Behavioral Nudges Reduce Failure to Appear for Court |url=https://www.ideas42.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Behavioral-nudges-reduce-failure-to-appear-for-court_Science.full_.pdf |journal=Science |language=en |volume=370 |issue= 6517|pages=1 |doi= 10.1126/science.abb6591|pmid=33033154 |s2cid=222235406 |issn= |via=Ideas42}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> Critics believe most FTAs are the product of forgetfulness or logistical difficulties—and that, if given another opportunity, a defendant will appear when requested.<ref name=":1" /> They note that a single legal proceeding can span several years and consist of multiple court dates;<ref name=":1" /> due to backlogs in some courts, defendants may wait all day for their hearings only for a judge to impose a delay.<ref>{{Cite news |last= |first= |date=May 11, 2016 |title=A Nightmare Court, Worthy of Dickens |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/12/opinion/a-nightmare-court-worthy-of-dickens.html |access-date= |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Defendants who must go before a judge regularly can confuse or forget their court dates.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Gouldin |first=Lauryn P. |date=2018 |title=Defining Flight Risk |url=https://lawreview.uchicago.edu/sites/lawreview.uchicago.edu/files/02%20Gouldin_ART_SA%20%28JPM%29.pdf |journal=University of Chicago Law Review |volume=85 |pages=730}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Cook |first1=Brice |last2=Diop |first2=Binta Zahra |last3=Fishbane |first3=Alissa |last4=Hayes |first4=Jonathan |last5=Ouss |first5=Aurelie |last6=Shah |first6=Anuj |date=January 2018 |title=Using Behavioral Science to Improve Criminal Justice Outcomes: Preventing Failures to Appear in Court |url=https://www.ideas42.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Using-Behavioral-Science-to-Improve-Criminal-Justice-Outcomes.pdf |website=ideas42}}</ref> Jurisdictions nationwide have reduced FTA rates by reminding people of upcoming court hearings.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Baradaran Baughman |first=Shima |date=2020 |title=Dividing Bail Reform |url=https://ilr.law.uiowa.edu/print/volume-105-issue-3/dividing-bail-reform/ |journal=Iowa Law Review |volume=105 |pages=987}}</ref> In New York, an effort to redesign court summons forms and notify people of their court dates using text messages reduced FTAs by 13% and 21%, respectively.<ref name=":0" /> These interventions resulted in an estimated 30,000 fewer warrants issued over three years.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Fishbane |first1=Alissa |last2=Ouss |first2=Aurelie |last3=Shah |first3=Anuj K. |date=2020 |title=Behavioral Nudges Reduce Failures to Appear in Court |url=https://www.ideas42.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Behavioral-nudges-reduce-failure-to-appear-for-court_Science.full_.pdf |journal=Science |volume=370 |issue=6517 |pages=6 |doi=10.1126/science.abb6591 |pmid=33033154 |s2cid=222235406 |via=Ideas42}}</ref>

Critics note that attending court can be particularly onerous for low-income individuals. Studies have documented a lack of access to transportation and childcare as two factors driving FTAs.<ref name=":1" /> Defendants may struggle to make their court dates due to conflicts with their work, as many courts are only open during business hours.<ref name=":1" /> Researchers have confirmed a positive correlation between indigence and FTAs across racial and gender demographics.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last1=Zettler |first1=Haley R. |last2=Morris |first2=Robert G. |date=2015 |title=An Exploratory Assessment of Race and Gender-Specific Predictors of Failure to Appear in Court among Defendants Released via a Pretrial Services Agency |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/276133329 |journal=Criminal Justice Review |volume=40 |issue=4 |pages=426|doi=10.1177/0734016815583350 |s2cid=145692540 }}</ref> They speculate that the logistical challenges and financial burdens associated with court attendance drove the disparities observed in their results.<ref name=":3" /> Advocates have called for transportation assistance and childcare support instead of criminal sanctions to address FTAs.<ref name=":11">{{Cite web |date=2020 |title=The Bail Project: After Cash Bail |url=https://bailproject.org/after-cash-bail/ |access-date= |website=The Bail Project |language=en-US}}</ref> Advocates note that some people, including houseless individuals and people dealing with substance abuse, require additional support and that the threat of criminal sanctions is ineffective.<ref name=":11" />