NCJ Number
96902
Date Published
1979
Length
42 pages
Annotation
This report examines adult felony case processing (including statistics) in two Michigan counties.
Abstract
The analysis looks at barriers to action within the criminal justice system, the need for data that would allow tracking of offenders in detail from the point of arrest through disposition, and the way criminal justice resources are distributed across the principal agencies in the two counties. Differences in the two counties in terms of arrest rates, proportion of district courts cases that were bound over to circuit court, and number of defendants sentenced to jail are explored. In addition, the outcomes of cases within the counties are considered, and percentages of cases resulting in remand to lower court and in trial are reported. Case durations are described, sentencing patterns are noted, and the effect of crime category on felony processing is analyzed. The need for integrated planning at the county level with local jurisdictional cooperation, for either a manual or an automated data collection effort, is identified. Eleven figures and 15 tables are included.