NCJ Number
124749
Date Published
1989
Length
72 pages
Annotation
Caddo Parish, Louisiana, contracted a study of its correctional facility needs that included system evaluation and needs assessment.
Abstract
The system evaluation and needs assessment consist of an inmate profile, classification, and tracking analysis to identify who is in custody and for how long; an overview of jail programs and services; and population projections. The inmate profile and classification analysis reviews inmate demographic data to describe the jail population and to provide data for future classification planning. This analysis shows a population of generally serious offenders, including many already sentenced to State prison and many pretrial inmates. The inmate tracking analysis examines the flow of offenders from arrest through pretrial release to final disposition. This analysis illustrates arrest patterns, offense types, the distribution of offenders through release types, and length of stay for each release type. The analysis provides a framework for identifying inefficiencies in criminal justice management and for relieving jail crowding. The inmate tracking analysis shows an inefficient, undeveloped pretrial release system in Caddo Parish, slowness in case screening, and few alternatives to custody. The overview of jail programs and services identifies positive and negative aspects of current programming and service delivery to inmates. The facility inventory and analysis show a need for replanning or replacing the city jail and courthouse jail and remodeling and downsizing the Caddo Detention Center. Planning options to reduce jail demand and facility options to meet future facility needs are outlined. Appendixes contain the inmate classification sheet and letters used in the system evaluation and needs assessment to obtain information. Tables and illustrations.