NCJ Number
79084
Date Published
1981
Length
32 pages
Annotation
The development and implementation of a simple case management information system in four misdemeanor courts are described, and techniques for implementation in similar courts are suggested.
Abstract
The Case Management Information System (CMIS) is designed to assist small, 1-3 judge misdemeanor courts which have fewer than 25,000 misdemeanor case filings annually. The CMIS is constructed to help the court (1) develop management policies, including case progress and disposition time standards; (2) integrate and coordinate scheduling and calendar practices that facilitate adherence to these policies; and (3) provide basic case information through the use of a simple manual recordkeeping system that enables court personnnel to monitor case progress and evaluate the effectiveness of management policies. The essential element of the system is the case control card that is created at the time a case is docketed. The card provides for easy identification of old cases. Case progress can be monitored, and information about case age facilitates court development of case progress time standards. Further, this feature helps prevent undue delay in individual cases and helps reduce the possiblity that cases may become lost in the system. The card includes information that permits rapid tabulation of a wide variety of statistical information on open or closed cases. Specific calendaring techniques must be used to facilitate the court's control of case progress. The testing of the system in courts in Massachusetts, Texas, and Minnesota shows that the system facilitates a court's taking and monitoring control of its caseload. Moreover, the card system is economical and easy to understand, and its installation and operation can be achieved rapidly. Tabular data, 10 footnotes, and 9 references are provided.