NCJ Number
143728
Date Published
1991
Length
159 pages
Annotation
This study developed a conceptual framework and baseline information to assist correctional planners in understanding the system of offender placements in Washington State.
Abstract
The major issues studied were placement capacity and plans for expansion, current use and offender demographics, population management policies and practices, and operations costs. The study, which was undertaken in the summer and fall of 1991, dealt only with adults charged with or convicted of felony, nontraffic misdemeanant, drunk driving, or criminal traffic offenses. The four primary phases of the study were the development of a survey to obtain information on offender placements, data collection, analysis and synthesis of information, and exploration of the implications of current trends. Regarding the use of Washington State's criminal justice system capacity, the study found that most types of placement for adult offenders are operating at or above capacity. Underused capacity was found only in some partial confinement placements, such as work release, work crew, and electronic monitoring. The study found that no one has overall responsibility for offender placements. Even within individual counties, different agencies most often plan and operate different offender placements. The report advises that some understanding of the relationship between the parts of the system and between demand, costs, and the purposes of criminal sanctions can improve decisionmaking about the allocation of resources for offender placements. Data analysis resulted in construction of a graphic and mathematical model of offender placements that explains how the system works and how policy and demand affect operating cost. There is an estimate of the future demand for offender placements and the operating costs associated with the continuation of current practices.