NCJ Number
112631
Journal
American Jails Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: (Fall 1988) Pages: 45-46,48-49,52
Date Published
1988
Length
5 pages
Annotation
The Department of Corrections in Prince George's County, Md., received a grant from the Bureau of Justice Administration for drug testing of pretrial defendants.
Abstract
The program is designed to provide the court with information for determining the conditions of release, reduce rearrest rates of pretrial defendants, reduce failure-to-appear rates, and reduce the pretrial inmate population. The program also provides the court with a record of the defendant's pretrial activities in cases where a guilty verdict is obtained and aids in determining the nature and extent of drug use in the County. As a part of the pretrial review process, defendants are interviewed to obtain personal information and to establish community ties, and voluntary drug tests are performed as a condition of eligibility for the pretrial release program. Defendants are informed that drug test results will not be used to establish a drug charge, in parole or probation hearings, or as grounds for pretrial detention. Tests are performed 16 hours a day, 7 days a week. Samples are obtained in the presence of collectors, a chain of custody log is kept, and samples are kept locked up from time of collection until testing. Positive results are confirmed using an alternate test technology. Results of the pretrial procedures are presented to the judge. If defendants with a drug use history or positive results are released, drug monitoring is made a condition of release. Violations lead to sanctions and can result in incarceration. An option for persons not normally eligible for pretrial release is participation in an in-house substance abuse program with subsequent drug monitoring. An evaluation component will determine the program's effectiveness.