NCJ Number
79046
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 45 Issue: 2 Dated: (June 1981) Pages: 18-25
Date Published
1981
Length
8 pages
Annotation
The administrative strategy and related outcome of conforming to a Federal court governing a pretrial release agency in Houston, Tex., are discussed.
Abstract
With reference to Harris County Tex., the U.S. district judge, in the 1975 case of Alberti v. Sheriff, issued a sweeping order directed at 'improving the operations of the pretrial release (PTR) program, streamlining other criminal justice procedures and improving the deplorable conditions in county detention facilities, especially at the downtown jail.' After the Vera Institute examined the existing PTR program and offered recommendations, in late 1977 the Harris County Pretrial Services Agency was organized into three modular units--administration, court services, and client notification and monitoring. Administration consisted of the director and administrative assistant responsible for administering agency policy set by the courts, payroll, budget planning, personnel, indirect services, research and evaluation, and public relations. Court services are composed of 2 supervisors, 4 senior interviewers, and 16 interviewers. One supervisor is responsible for overseeing the processing of interviews and PTR applications in the courts during the day. One senior interviewer and four interviewers are assigned to felony and misdemeanor courts respectively. The other supervisor coordinates the intershift caseflow and supervises the midnight and evening shifts composed of senior interviewer and four interviewers respectively. Client notification and monitoring staff are responsible for all activity related to an active PTR case from release to disposition. The structural change is believed to have created the conditions for bail reform and pretrial diversion. Also, the average time between arrest and release on PTR has been changed from weeks in detention to 24 hours. Thirty-nine footnotes are listed.