--- title: Incentives description: "\tProviding Incentives – Evidence-based practice\r\n\r\n\r\nSummary of the Evidence\r\n\r\n•\tIncentives are a way to change behavior by rewarding clients for addressing pre-determined goals and complying with supervision conditions.\r\n•\tIncentives are effective with diverse populations.\r\no\tIncentives are generally found to be more effective than sanctions at changing behavior; it is recommended to give four incentives for each sanction (4:1 ratio).\r\n•\tSupervision staff and people involved in the criminal legal system (the “criminal justice” or “legal” system is referred to as the criminal legal system in this document) generally support the use of incentives. \r\no\tSupervision staff particularly favor the use of incentives with medium- and high-risk clients.\r\n\r\n\r\nWhat Are Incentives?\r\n•\tIncentives are an important part of the behavior change process.\r\no\tIncentives are reinforcers for desired behaviors.\r\no\t “Contingency management” refers to the offering of incentives or rewards for positive behavior change.\r\no\tContingency management is effective in substance use treatment settings.\r\n\r\nHow Are Incentives Used?\r\n•\tSeveral forms of contingency management have shown promise in reinforcing patterns of behavior change.\r\no\tSome programs provide participants with a choice of various rewards (some monetary and others social). \r\no\tSome programs increase the amount of the reward offered to participants the longer they maintain the pattern of behavior change.\r\no\tSome programs allow participants to draw from a prize bowl containing redeemable slips for prizes. The number of draws a participant receives increases as they maintain the pattern of behavior change and resets back to one if they slip up.\r\no\tThe principles of contingency management can be applied to reinforce many indicators of behavior change.\r\n\tFirst the individual/officer must agree on goals and short-term steps.\r\n\tThe agreement should include what behaviors are to be reinforced and how frequently the incentives are given.\r\n\tDuring the early phase, it is important to reward often and frequently to get a neuro-physical reaction.\r\n\tDuring the later phase, incentives should be staggered to maintain the changed behavior.\r\n\tIncentives can be financial (gift card, voucher, etc.) or social (use computers in the office, get a letter from the officer indicating they are doing well).\r\n\tPositive behaviors may include seeking employment, taking educational classes, participating in community activities, etc.\r\n\tDesistance from negative behaviors can also be included (e.g., refraining from hanging out with friends the client has identified as detrimental to the desired behavior change, successfully resisting a temptation to commit a crime, etc.).\r\n•\tIncentives can come in several forms.\r\no\tFinancial prize-based incentives include items like TV sets, gaming systems and radios.\r\no\tSocial rewards like reduced-supervision incentives include actions like reducing a client’s time on supervision, the number of visits they are required to make to the probation office each week/month, and the frequency they are required to submit for drug testing.\r\no\tFinancial practical incentives include items that help clients (and potentially facilitate compliance with other supervision conditions), such as transportation vouchers and cell phone minutes.\r\n\r\nHow Can They Be Used to Monitor Compliance?\r\n•\tIncentives are designed to change client behavior and should not be used to monitor compliance.\r\n\r\nHow Can They Be Used as a Supervision Tool?\r\n•\tIncentives can encourage positive behavior (e.g., seeking employment, taking educational classes, participating in community activities, etc.) and compliance with supervision conditions.\r\n•\tIncentives can help with establishing goals.\r\n•\tIncentives discourage negative behavior that can lead to the client not receiving the incentive (e.g., refraining from hanging out with friends the client has identified as detrimental to the desired behavior change, successfully resisting a temptation to commit a crime, etc.). This discourages noncompliance with supervision conditions.\r\n\r\nWhat Are the Costs of Incentives?\r\n•\tIncentives vary in cost. \r\no\tPrize-based incentives are generally the most expensive.\r\no\tPractical incentives vary in cost but are generally affordable when they come in the form of transportation vouchers and cell phone minutes.\r\no\tReduced-supervision incentives have no cost and may save the supervision department money by taking less officer time to meet with clients.\r\n•\tSome incentives (such as social incentives) do not have an associated cost.\r\n\r\nWhat Do Supervision Staff Think About Incentives?\r\n•\tSupervision staff report that incentives are\r\no\tsometimes appropriate for all low-risk clients and\r\no\talways appropriate for medium- and high-risk clients, except those who have committed intimate partner violence, for whom it is sometimes appropriate.\r\n\r\nWhat Should You Expect When Using Incentives?\r\nClient Outcomes\r\n•\tEncourage setting small steps (goals).\r\n•\tAchieve longer-term goals.\r\n•\tIncentives can promote behavior change and encourage client compliance with the conditions of supervision if a client is not being compliant.\r\n•\tIncentives may help build a working alliance between officer and client by showing that the officer is interested in the client’s wellbeing. \r\n•\tIncentives shift attention to progress and goals instead of compliance.\r\no\tIncentives may show a client that the officer is not solely interested in punishing them. This can help foster a more trusting relationship between officer and client.\r\n•\tPractical incentives like bus passes and cell phone minutes (things which help the client complete their daily tasks and/or conditions of supervision) may also show the client that the officer wants to help them succeed on supervision.\r\n\r\nAre Incentives an Evidence-Based Practice?\r\n•\tYes, evidence shows that incentives are effective at changing behavior.\r\no\tIncentives are generally more effective than sanctions.\r\n\r\nWhat Do People Formerly Involved in the Criminal Legal System Think About Incentives?\r\n•\tPeople who have been involved in the criminal legal system report that incentives are\r\no\tsometimes appropriate for all low-, medium-, and high-risk clients.\r\n\r\nCommunication That Strengthens the Officer-Client Relationship (Messaging)\r\n•\tClearly lay out the ground rules of the incentive, including:\r\no\tunder what conditions the client will receive an incentive (same is true for sanctions)\r\no\tunder what conditions the client will not receive an incentive \r\no\tthe process by which a client can begin to receive the incentive again if they fail to meet the conditions to receive it\r\no\twhat the incentive is and how the client can redeem it (if applicable)\r\n•\tEnsure that the client understands that the incentive is being given in response to positive behavior on their part.\r\no\tConnect the client’s receipt of the incentive to something they are actively doing (or not doing).\r\n\r\nSpecial Considerations When Using Incentives with Subpopulations\r\n\r\nGang-Involved\tGang-involved clients may have concerns that receiving incentives may be seen by other gang-involved peers as cooperating with law enforcement and may result in retaliation. Officers should help gang-involved clients to navigate these issues, explain to peers the purpose of incentives, and stay safe.\r\nGeneral Violence\tIncentives (and the possibility of losing incentives) may help decrease violent behavior and get individuals to think about and reconsider violence before committing it.\r\nIntimate Partner Violence\tIncentives can help address behaviors (like alcohol or narcotics use) that may contribute to intimate partner violence.\r\nSerious Mental Illness\tIncentives are usually effective with people who experience mental illness and may be a way to encourage participation in a treatment program.\r\nSubstance Use Disorder\tContingency management with rewards for abstinence from drugs has been studied extensively and is an evidence-based practice." url: "https://www.gmuace.org/appropriateness-statement-package/motivation-techniques/incentives/" updated: "2023-06-09" category: Motivation Techniques tags: - Client Resources - "Evidence-Based Practices" - Motivational Techniques - Officer Techniques --- # Incentives ***Providing Incentives – Evidence-based practice*** Summary of the Evidence - Incentives are a way to change behavior by rewarding clients for addressing pre-determined goals and complying with supervision conditions. - Incentives are effective with diverse populations. - Incentives are generally found to be more effective than sanctions at changing behavior; it is recommended to give four incentives for each sanction (4:1 ratio). - Supervision staff and people involved in the criminal legal system (the “criminal justice” or “legal” system is referred to as the criminal legal system in this document) generally support the use of incentives. - Supervision staff particularly favor the use of incentives with medium- and high-risk clients.   What Are Incentives? How Are Incentives Used? What Do Supervision Staff Think About Incentives? What Should You Expect When Using Incentives? Special Considerations When Using Incentives with Subpopulations   **Similar Topics** ## [Transportation Resources](https://www.gmuace.org/appropriateness-statement-package/additional-components/transportation-resources/) ## [Prosocial Modeling](https://www.gmuace.org/appropriateness-statement-package/motivation-techniques/prosocial-modeling/) ## [Drug Testing](https://www.gmuace.org/appropriateness-statement-package/compliance-based-practices/drug-testing/)