PRETRIAL RELEASE WITH SUPPORTIVE SERVICES FOR 'HIGH RISK' DEFENDANTS - THE THREE YEAR EVALUATION OF THE POLK COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF COURT SERVICES COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS PROJECT

• NCJ Number: 25888
• Author(s): D L BROWN; W C GREEN-QUIJANO; C DISON; G E PASELA; J GOETTSCH
• Date Published: 1973
• Length: 105 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Des Moines Office of Community Development
• Corporate Author: Carter Ctr
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

SUPERVISED RELEASE PROGRAM FOR DEFENDANTS WHO WOULD ORDINARILY REMAIN IN JAIL UNTIL TRIAL BECAUSE THEY DO NOT MEET 'COMMUNITY STABILITY' CRITERIA FOR RELEASE ON RECOGNIZANCE AND CAN NOT AFFORD BAIL.

Abstract

COMPARISONS AMONG GROUPS OF DEFENDANTS - PRETRIAL RELEASEES VERSUS THOSE NOT RELEASE - SERVED AS THE BASIS FOR THE EVALUATION. STUDY FINDINGS IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS ARE DISCUSSED: CLIENT CHARACTERISTICS, CLIENT SELECTION, APPEARANCE FOR TRIAL, PRETRIAL OFFENSES, PRETRIAL JAIL TIME, PRETRIAL EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME, LEGAL REPRESENTATION, COURT OUTCOME, FINANCIAL COST EFFECTIVENESS AND SOCIETAL EFFECTIVENESS. EVALUATORS CONCLUDED THAT THE PROGRAM WAS SUCCESSFULLY FULFILLING ITS GOALS - PROJECT CLIENTS HAD THE SAME APPEARANCE RATE AS BAIL RELEASE DEFENDANTS (98 PER CENT) AND WERE LESS LIKELY TO COMMIT NEW OFFENSES SUBSEQUENT TO THE PRETRIAL PERIOD THAN WERE NON-PROJECT DEFENDANTS. IN ADDITION, DEFENDANTS RELEASED PRIOR TO TRIAL WERE CONVICTED LESS OFTEN THOSE JAILED, WERE LESS OFTEN INCARCERATED SUBSEQUENT TO CONVICTION, AND RECEIVED SHORTER SENTENCES THAN BOTH THOSE DEFENDANTS JAILED PRIOR TO TRIAL AND THOSE RELEASED UPON BAIL. IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT THIS PRETRIAL APPROACH BE IMPLEMENTED WHEREVER COMMUNITY SUPPORT CAN BE GENERATED FOR ITS ACCEPTANCE.