NCJ Number
76170
Date Published
1980
Length
29 pages
Annotation
This report describes and assesses the first year's (September 1979 through March 1980) operation of the bail verification and supervision projects in Ontario, Canada.
Abstract
The projects grew out of the concern over the remand population within Ontario's jails. Nonsentenced persons accounted for nearly half of the inmates in jails and for about 20 percent of the total institutional population, while only a small percentage of these persons were facing charges involving violence and a large portion was being released after trial without having been sentenced to prison. Two groups were targeted for reductions in the remand counts: short-term inmates being held prior to the show-cause hearing and those whose release conditions have been set but who can not initially meet these conditions. The bail verification project aimed at including other measures than the traditional, sole criteria of type and severity of offense in the decision for setting bail. Among such new criteria are community and family ties. The bail supervision project allowed suspects to be released without bail. Participants are required to attend court when called upon to do so and to report to the bail project staff at intervals set either by the court or by project staff. Some participants were also required to meet special conditions such as abiding by a curfew or residing at a specific or approved residence. The projects also provided services aimed at helping participants lead more productive lives. Among these were employment counselling and legal assistance. The preliminary evaluation, focusing on institutional impact, concludes that both projects have been successful. Data tables and a seven-item reference list are included.