Incentives for Change

Let’s talk about contingency management — sanctions and rewards.

This approach is widely used in drug treatment courts, but in my experience, it’s often misunderstood and misapplied. So let’s break it down.

Sanctions are not punishment.

Their purpose is to correct or modify behavior — and that distinction matters enormously.

Take something as common as missed appointments. Time management is a skill, and it’s one that many people genuinely don’t have. So before any consequence is applied, the first question should be: do they actually have the tools to succeed?

In some drug courts, participants aren’t allowed cell phones in early phases. They can’t set reminders. Some have never learned to use a calendar. That’s not defiance — that’s a skills gap. And a skills gap is a teaching opportunity, not a punishable offence.

Here’s how a graduated, behavior-correlated response might look:

1. Therapeutic intervention — teach the skill first. Always start here.

2. Verbal warning from the judge — if the behavior continues despite support.

3. An insight letter — reflecting on the importance of time management (adapted for literacy needs).

4. A time management course — rather than community service hours, unless the broader context suggests otherwise.

At no point do you jump straight to house arrest or incarceration for a missed appointment. There’s no lesson in that — only a missed opportunity for the treatment team and the participant.

Important note: if someone commits an offence that harms another person, the response looks very different and may include incarceration or program termination depending on the court’s guidelines. That’s a separate conversation.

Now let’s talk about rewards — because this is just as important.

Reward positive behavior as much as possible, and do it consistently. Even verbal praise from the judge or a team member carries real weight. People are far more likely to keep doing well when they feel seen and acknowledged for it.

Rewards should grow over time and align with where someone is in the program:

• Early on: verbal praise, small acknowledgements, celebrating milestones in court

• As progress builds: books, movie tickets, tickets to pro-social community events, curfew extensions, permission to travel for a family event

The key is that rewards, like sanctions, must be meaningful and connected to the individual. You’re not drawing from a hat — you’re responding to the person in front of you, their interests, their progress, and their treatment plan.

The ratio to aim for? Roughly 10 rewards for every 1 sanction.

When people feel supported, recognized, and given real opportunities to grow, the outcomes follow.

I’m happy to share more examples of how sanctions can be applied to other behaviors — drop a comment below if there’s a specific scenario you’d like me to walk through. And if this resonates with you, share it with someone working in treatment, corrections, or court services. This conversation is overdue.

Photo by Giorgio Trovato on Unsplash