NCJ Number
144886
Journal
American Jails Volume: 7 Issue: 3 Dated: (July-August 1993) Pages: 18-22
Date Published
1993
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article describes programs used by the Shawnee County Jail (Kansas) to manage the inmate population.
Abstract
One innovation for managing the jail population is the Shawnee County Jail Population Control Committee, which meets weekly to exchange ideas, discuss issues or potential problems, evaluate current trends locally and nationally regarding criminal justice systems, and routinely review each inmate's status. The latter task involves a review of inmate classifications, the identification of inmates for release, and the expedition of court hearings. Another jail- management program is the Court Services Pre-Trial Release Program. This program assists in determining which individuals can be safely released from jail pending trial by posting bond and which should be held in jail. In Shawnee County, the pretrial release program screens arrestees primarily for release on personal recognizance and 10- percent own-recognizance cash deposit types of bonds. The arrestee pays 10 percent of the total face value of the required bond with the clerk of the district court. In adopting a strict approach to bond supervision for repeat offenders, the court significantly reduces the risks of recidivism among those individuals released on bond.