COMPILATION AND USE OF CRIMINAL COURT DATA IN RELATION TO PRE-TRIAL RELEASE OF DEFENDANTS: PILOT STUDY REPORT, REVISION 2

• NCJ Number: 143189
• Author(s): J W Locke; R Penn; J Rick; E Bunten; G Hare
• Date Published: 1970
• Length: 220 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Sale Source: US Dept of Commerce; National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: NBS Project 4314410

Annotation

This project analyzed data relating to 712 defendants who entered the District of Columbia's criminal justice system over a 4-week period in 1968 in order to assess the recidivism of those on pretrial release.

Abstract

Data were obtained from records maintained by the D.C. Police Department, the Office of the U.S. Attorney, the courts, the bail agency, and the jail. Of 910 defendants listed on case rolls for the 4-week period, 712 actually entered the court system by being charged with felony or misdemeanor offenses. Of the 712 defendants, 426 were released prior to trial, and 11 percent of these defendants were subsequently rearrested on a second charge. Data on rearrested defendants were analyzed, and an index of recidivism was developed based on number of rearrests per unit of time defendants were on prebail release. About 2 percent of the 712 defendants entered the criminal justice system twice in separate incidents during the sample weeks. Of these 13 individuals, only two were on pretrial release at the time of their second involvement. At presentment or initial hearing, the sample contained 217 felony defendants (31 percent), 437 misdemeanor defendants (61 percent), and 58 defendants who were "no papered" or otherwise disposed of before presentment (8 percent). A total of 654 (92 percent) were eligible for pretrial release consideration. For the 217 eligible felony defendants, the following release types were initially set: 52 percent on money bond, 10 percent on personal bond, 23 percent on personal recognizance, and 15 percent unknown or denied. Felony defendants were arrested for misdemeanors about as often as for felonies. No single personal characteristic appeared as an outstanding indicator of recidivism, although felony defendants (excluding those charged with robbery) were older. The calculated recidivist index indicated about one rearrest for every 1,000 defendant- days on pretrial release. Appendixes contain a list of personnel contacted during the study, the data collection form, procedures for determining measures of potential dangerousness, and documented cases on pretrial release. References, tables, and figures