NCJ Number
51839
Date Published
1978
Length
341 pages
Annotation
THIS STUDY WAS DESIGNED TO CONSTRUCT AND VALIDATE A PREDICTION SCALE THAT COULD ACCURATELY IDENTIFY POTENTIAL FAILURE TO APPEAR TENDENCIES AMONG PRETRIAL RECOGNIZANCE RELEASE (PTRR) PROGRAM CLIENTS IN OHIO.
Abstract
FILES OF ALL INDIVIDUALS RELEASED ON A REPORTING RECOGNIZANCE BOND UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE FRANKLIN COUNTY, OHIO, PTRR PROGRAM DURING A 6-MONTH PERIOD IN 1976 WERE STUDIED. THREE ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES WERE UTILIZED TO CONSTRUCT A VALID PREDICTION SCALE: UNWEIGHTED MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS, WEIGHTED MULTIPLE REGRESSION ANALYSIS, AND DISCRIMINANT ANALYSIS. A SEPARATE SAMPLE WAS EMPLOYED TO VALIDATE THE SCALE DERIVED FROM EACH TYPE OF ANALYSIS. IN TOTAL, 615 ACCUSED INDIVIDUALS WERE RELEASED DURING THE STUDY PERIOD. TO VALIDATE PREDICTION SCALES, PREDICTED FAILURE TO APPEAR OUTCOMES WERE COMPARED WITH ACTUAL FAILURE TO APPEAR OUTCOMES OF 103 ACCUSED INDIVIDUALS FROM THE UNIVERSE OF 615 WHO WERE, BY DEFINITION, NOT INCLUDED IN THE SCALE CONSTRUCTION DATA BASE. CLIENT CHARACTERISTICS FOR THE EXPERIMENTAL GROUP (512 SUBJECTS) AND THE CONTROL GROUP (103 SUBJECTS) WERE ASSESSED IN TERMS OF DEMOGRAPHY, CRIMINAL JUSTICE HISTORY, AND CASE MANAGEMENT AND OUTCOME. THE TYPICAL PROGRAM CLIENT APPEARED TO BE A YOUNG, UNMARRIED, WHITE MALE WHO DID NOT COMPLETE HIGH SCHOOL. OVER 80 PERCENT OF THOSE RELEASED ON A REPORTING RECOGNIZANCE BOND APPEARED AT ALL APPOINTED COURT HEARINGS. IN CONSTRUCTING AND VALIDATING PREDICTION SCALES, IT WAS HYPOTHESIZED THAT THERE WERE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS RELEASED ON A REPORTING RECOGNIZANCE BOND WHO FAILED ON RECOGNIZANCE AND THOSE WHO DID NOT FAIL ON RECOGNIZANCE WITH RESPECT TO THE SEVERITY OF THE CRIMINAL CHARGE(S), THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF PREVIOUS CRIMINAL ACTIVITY, PAST COURT APPEARANCE BEHAVIOR, COMMUNITY TIES, SOCIOECONOMIC BACKGROUND, PRIOR CONTACT WITH THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, THE TIME LAG FROM RELEASE TO INITIAL PERSONAL CONTACT WITH PTRR PROGRAM STAFF, AND CRIMINAL SANCTIONS. DATA ON THE EXPERIMENTAL AND CONTROL SUBJECTS INDICATED THAT PTRR PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS WHO WANT TO MAINTAIN LOW FAILURE TO APPEAR RATES SHOULD MAINTAIN A RELATIVELY HIGH LEVEL OF CONTACT WITH THOSE RELEASED ON A REPORTING RECOGNIZANCE BOND, SHORTENING THE TIME LAG FROM FORMAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE RECOGNIZANCE RELEASE TO FINAL DISPOSITION DOES NOT DIMINISH FAILURE TO APPEAR RATES, AND PTRR PROGRAM ADMINISTRATORS WHO WANT TO MAINTAIN LOW FAILURE TO APPEAR RATES SHOULD REDUCE THE TIME LAG PERMITTED BETWEEN A COURT-IMPOSED RECOGNIZANCE RELEASE AND FORMAL ACCEPTANCE OF THE BOND BY THE ACCUSED PERSON. THERE IS A TENDENCY FOR THE JUDICIARY TO BE MORE SEVERE IN DISPOSITIONS FOR THOSE WHO FAIL TO APPEAR. ISSUES IN PRETRIAL RELEASE OR DETENTION AND IN RELEASE ON RECOGNIZANCE ARE EXAMINED. SUPPORTING DATA AND THE DATA COLLECTION FORM USED IN THE STUDY ARE APPENDED. FOOTNOTES ARE PROVIDED AT THE END OF REPORT CHAPTERS. (DEP)