NCJ Number
150071
Date Published
1992
Length
311 pages
Annotation
The program summaries presented in this report describe the principal operational characteristics and procedures of the six Differentiated Case Management (DCM) demonstration courts (four criminal and two civil) launched with the support of the Bureau of Justice Assistance of the U.S. Justice Department.
Abstract
Differentiated Case Management (DCM) is a technique that courts can use to tailor the case management process, as well as the allocation of judicial system resources, to the characteristics of individual cases. In July 1987, the Bureau of Justice Assistance instituted a demonstration program to pilot test the application of DCM techniques to criminal and civil caseloads to assist State trial courts in accommodating the impact of increasing drug caseloads on the total court docket. The demonstration program focused both on drug cases as well as the general criminal and civil caseload to ensure that the needs of the nondrug segment of the caseloads were not sacrificed to the demands of the drug filings. The demonstration courts selected represent a cross-section of DCM approaches, jurisdictional environments, and case processing systems. Four of the DCM demonstration projects focus on expediting the criminal caseload in different ways. The summaries of the demonstration projects follow a consistent format to provide a guideline for other jurisdictions interested in adapting the DCM concept. A chart summarizes the comparative features of the demonstration project. Appended names and addresses of contact persons for each project