NCJ Number
164480
Date Published
1995
Length
30 pages
Annotation
This report from a meeting of five selected jail administrators identifies process and programmatic changes that have helped reduce jail overcrowding in the represented jurisdictions.
Abstract
The jail sites represented are King County, Wash.; Pinellas County, Fla.; Fairfax County, Va.; Multnomah County, Ore.; and Volusia County, Fla. Representatives from these five sites, together with representatives from the National Institute of Corrections and the American Jail Association, participated in a discussion from September 30 through October 2, 1994. Participants were unanimous in their opinion that a justice system advisory group has been the key factor in jail population reduction. Such an advisory group allows local system participants to share the credit when reduction methods are successful, and it allows for the sharing of blame if unexpected results occur. Other crucial components of a jail-reduction strategy were identified as having accurate data readily available, having judicial leadership, using consultants, making jail crowding a community issue, and using a lawsuit as an opportunity for long-term, systemic solutions to jail crowding. Some process changes suggested are time frames for case disposition, probation violation hearings, deferred sentencing, a reduction in pre-sentence investigation time, the establishment of a drug court, and mental health interventions. Programmatic changes used in the five sites have included pretrial screening and supervision, use of a forestry work camp, a day-reporting program, drug/alcohol programming, and electronic monitoring with home detention. Demographic information on the five sites is included, along with a participant list and a discussion of elements/strategies for developing a criminal justice committee.