NCJ Number
80497
Date Published
1981
Length
223 pages
Annotation
Findings and recommendations are presented from the third annual evaluation of California's Career Criminal Prosecution Program (CCPP).
Abstract
California's CCPP is based on the belief that incapacitation (imprisonment) is most effective with career criminals (the relatively small number of offenders who commit a disproportionate number of burglaries, robberies, thefts, and other high volume crimes). The enabling statute for the CCPP thus directs prosecutors to resist pretrial release of habitual offenders and to seek maximum prison sentences upon conviction. This third report on the CCPP builds upon the January 1979 preliminary report and the January 1980 Second Annual Report to the legislature. This evaluation of the CCPP performance over 27 months used 5,542 completed evaluation forms originating from 2,421 cases as the data base, as well as personal interviews with over 450 persons in the participating localities. Analysis of the data base shows the program to have increased amounts of bail, conviction rates, conviction rates on the most serious charge, incarceration rates, sentence lengths, use of enhancement charges, and the use of vertical prosecution, while reducing the use of plea bargaining and prosecutorial caseloads. Recommendations are for continued State support of the program, reauthorization of career criminal legislation, State funding for the Career Criminal Apprehension Program, and a reduction in the median age of the career criminal defendant group. Appended are the enabling legislation, relevant county data, program evaluation methodology, the evaluation data form, and lists of the personnel on the program steering committee and the evaluation and legislative subcommittee. Footnotes and extensive tabular data are provided throughout the report.