Alex is the Managing Director of the Behavioural Insights Team’s APAC office. He advises governments worldwide on using behavioural science to improve policy outcomes and evidence-based policy. Previously, Alex oversaw research and evaluation work across Singapore, Australia, and Aotearoa New Zealand, running the New Zealand office from 2018-2021. Since joining in 2012, he has worked in diverse fields including domestic violence, energy regulation, health, obesity, financial regulation, employment services, and education. His PhD focused on encouraging treatment for anxiety and depression via a mobile app. In 2018, he was named one of Apolitical’s 100 Future Government Leaders.
Presentation
Using a Simplified Bail Notice to Reduce Fail to Appear Rates
Dr Alex Gyani, Lance Tebbutt, Simon Williams, Simon Welsh
1Behavioural Insights Team, 2,3&4 Evidence Based Policing Centre, New Zealand Police, New Zealand
The purpose of this presentation is to share findings from an evaluation of the New Zealand Police Bail Notice National Trial, conducted from September 2021 to January 2023. The trial aimed to reduce the high rate of failures to appear (FTA) in court by redesigning the police bail notice using behavioural science principles.
Traditionally, about 15% of bailed individuals fail to appear in court, leading to warrants for their arrest, increased resource demands on the police and courts, and adverse consequences for the defendants. The redesigned bail notice sought to address these issues by making important information more salient and simplifying the language to a lower reading age.
The trial employed a stepped wedge randomised control trial (RCT) across 33 police areas, progressively introducing the new notice. The evaluation involved 17,843 participants and compared the FTA rates between areas using the original and redesigned notices. Results showed a statistically significant reduction in FTA rates from 11.9% with the original notice to 10.1% with the redesigned notice, indicating a 15% reduction in expected FTAs.