NCJ Number
95159
Date Published
1979
Length
6 pages
Annotation
The Columbus Night Prosecutor's Program is one of the most successful diversionary programs in existence.
Abstract
The goals of the program are to develop a procedure to rapidly and fairly dispense justice to citizens of Franklin County who become involved with minor criminal conduct; to reduce the number of cases which cause a backlog in the courts; to ease community and interpersonal tensions by helping the parties involved find equitable solutions to their problems; to provide a public agency forum for the working population during hours which would not interfere with their employment; and to remove the stigma of a criminal arrest record arising from minor personal disputes. Hearings are conducted from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, and 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sundays. The hearings take place in a private room in the office of the prosecutor. Present at the hearing are the hearing officer, the complainant, the respondent, a human relations counselor, attorneys, and witnesses. All civilian complaints are screened by the intake division. Intake counselors interview the complainants in an attempt to identify the problem and the most appropriate action to be taken. The components of the program are the Columbus Health Department, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, the Human Relations Counseling Program, and the Bad Check Program. Program refinements, such as increased delivery of notices of emergency hearings by police cruisers, are contemplated. A chart and three tables are included.