NCJ Number
95109
Date Published
1984
Length
175 pages
Annotation
Bail guidelines result in a more consistent and equitable setting of bail while limiting misconduct among released defendants.
Abstract
The second part of a two-part study of the feasibility of a guidelines approach to bail setting in the Philadelphia Municipal Court contrasted the guidelines bail approach with normal judicial practices. The bail guidelines used were developed in the first part of the study and are based on a matrix which measures the seriousness of the criminal charge against the statistical risk of flight and/or rearrest during pretrial release. Sixteen judges were randomly selected either to use the guidelines approach or to conduct bail in their normal fashion. Data were collected on nearly 2,000 cases decided by the two groups of judges from January 1981 to March 1982. The study design and the use of the guidelines in municipal court are described. Bail decisions are compared and analyzed for equity and rationality. Strengths and weaknesses of bail guidelines are assessed. Tables, figures, and a list of 48 references are provided. Seven appendixes include data collection and coding procedures, distribution of bail decisions, and supplemental tables.