NCJ Number
75635
Date Published
1979
Length
40 pages
Annotation
Five pretrial research projects which may hae significant impacts on the state of the art of pretrial alternatives in the future are reviewed.
Abstract
Three of the projects are devoted to pretrial release practices: the Study of Pretrial Release and Misconduct in the District of Columbia, conducted by the Institute for Law and Social Research; Phase II of the Lazar Institute's National Evaluation of Pretrial Release; and the Evaluation of the Speedy Trial Act of 1974, Title II, which includes a report from the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts and a data analysis report from the Federal Judicial Center -- each of which addresses the administration and operation of Federal pretrial services agencies established pursuant to Title II. Pretrial diversion is the subject of the Vera Institute's Evaluation of the Court Employment Project in New York City; and dispute resolution is the major concern of the National Evaluation of the Neighborhood Justice Center Concept conducted by the Institute for Social Analysis. The discussion of each project includes a brief description of the project and its purpose, significance, and current status; an explanation of the methods used; major findings and conclusions; and an analysis of the project's limitations and implications. A number of overall conclusions are also presented, such as the findings that pretrial programs should remain open to the possibility and process of change and that more research is required on the concept of a continuum of pretrial services for defendants. In addition, it is observed that judges, prosecutors, and defense attorneys need more effective and reliable feedback on the impact of specific decisions throughout the pretrial process and that programs should periodically assess their performance and impact. Footnotes with references are included.