IMPROVING THE CRIMINAL PROCESSING OF MISDEMEANANTS - THE IMPROVED LOWER COURT CASE HANDLING PROGRAM - RICHLAND COUNTY, SOUTH CAROLINA - NATIONAL EVALUATION - FINAL REPORT

• NCJ Number: 49693
• Author(s): E CHELIMSKY; L OTTEN; J SASFY
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 98 pages
• Grant Number(s): 76-NI-99-0078
• Corporate Author: Mitre Corporation
• Sale Source: Mitre Corporation
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE IMPROVED LOWER COURT CASE HANDLING (ILCCH) PROGRAM IN RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C., REPRESENTED A LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE ADMINISTRATION EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE CASE PROCESSING OF MISDEMEANANTS.

Abstract

THE ILCCH PROGRAM WAS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE PROCESSING OF MISDEMEANANT OFFENDERS THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EIGHT COMPONENTS. FOUR OF THE COMPONENTS OFFERED LAW ENFORCEMENT AND JUDICIAL PERSONNEL LESS DRASTIC METHODS FOR HANDLING MISDEMEANANTS: POLICE CITATIONS, COURT SUMMONS, PRETRIAL RELEASE, AND SELECT OFFENDER PROBATION. THREE COMPONENTS WERE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE CONSISTENCY AND EFFICIENCY IN HANDLING MISDEMEANOR CASES: CASE SCREENING, PROMIS, AND SHORT FORM PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION REPORTS. THE EIGHTH COMPONENT KNOWN AS THE MASS CASE COORDINATOR WAS DESIGNED TO FOSTER COOPERATION AMONG PROGRAM COMPONENTS AND ACROSS CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES. NEITHER POLICE CITATION NOR COURT SUMMONS ALTERNATIVES COULD BE IMPLEMENTED IN THE COUNTY BECAUSE STATE LAW DOES NOT ALLOW THEIR USE. THE PRETRIAL RELEASE COMPONENT OPERATED AS A DISCRETIONARY MECHANISM TO EFFECT RELEASE OF DEFENDANTS BASED ON A SET OF FORMAL AND INFORMAL CRITERIA. THE CASE SCREENING COMPONENT OPERATED TO IMPROVE THE TRANSMITTAL OF OFFENSE INFORMATION, AND APPROXIMATELY 33 PERCENT OF ALL CASES WERE EVENTUALLY DISMISSED VIA SCREENING. PRIOR TO THE ILCCH PROGRAM, NO CASES HAD BEEN DISMISSED. ALTHOUGH THE ORIGINAL INTENT WAS TO DEVELOP A CROSS-JURISDICTIONAL INFORMATION SYSTEM ALONG THE LINES OF THE MANUAL PROMIS, THE COUNTY EVENTUALLY IMPLEMENTED A SIMPLIFIED CARD SYSTEM. JUDGES WERE NOT PARTICULARLY DISPOSED TOWARD THE USE OF PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATIONS, AND FEW PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATIONS WERE CONDUCTED. THE SELECT OFFENDER PROBATION COMPONENT WAS TERMINATED AS PART OF PROGRAM RESTRUCTURING. IT SUPERVISED 63 CLIENTS BUT SUFFERED BECAUSE IT FAILED TO INFORM JUDGES IN AN EFFECTIVE MANNER ABOUT THE ILCCH PROGRAM, TO DEVELOP A PROPOSED VOLUNTEER PROGRAM, AND TO INVOLVE THE LOCAL PROBATION DEPARTMENT. THE ILCCH PROGRAM IN RICHLAND COUNTY, IN GENERAL, FAILED TO MOVE BEYOND LIMITED IMPLEMENTATION, OPERATIONS, AND INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF COMPONENTS AND DID NOT DEVELOP INTERAGENCY COORDINATION DUE TO INADEQUATE MANAGEMENT, LACK OF ANALYSIS AND PLANNING IN THE EARLY STAGES OF THE PROGRAM, AND LACK OF INTEREST BY AGENCIES IN COMPONENT CONCEPTS. A DESCRIPTION OF THE COUNTY'S CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS APPENDED.