Willingness to report among convicted individuals with a self-reporting status

Convicts who are sentenced to serve a prison term can be summoned to report to a designated prison location on a set date. This so-called 'self-reporting' has benefits for convicts - they know when they will be incarcerated and can prepare themselves and their surroundings accordingly (such as arranging payment for accommodation or requesting leave from their employer). However, it appears that fewer than half (approximately 45%) of convicts with a self-reporting status actually take advantage of this option. If a convict fails to report, they can be arrested by the police at any time. In this research, Dialogic, commissioned by the WODC, investigated 1) why more than half of the convicts with a self-reporting status do not respond to the summons and 2) how willingness to report could be increased. To examine this, we spoke to inmates in prisons who had reported as well as those who had not and were brought in as detainees. Most of the self-reporters indicated that, upon receiving the summons, they did not even consider not complying. The most commonly cited reason among non-self-reporters is that they did not receive the letter. This can be explained by the fact that non-self-reporters often do not have a fixed address. The greatest potential for increasing willingness to report is by expanding the reach of the self-reporting summons (for example, by sending it by registered mail and offering it in multiple languages). Providing personalised and proactive contact offers many opportunities to provide tailored support (a pilot project in the three northern provinces has already shown promising results). In addition, flexibility around the self-reporting date and prison location would increase willingness to report among this group. Highlighting the benefits of self-reporting more in the summons (for example, by clearly contrasting them with the downsides) could possibly persuade convicts who are uncertain. Practical benefits, such as being able to bring cigarettes and personal care products, can sometimes be decisive in rational considerations.