DELAY AND THE QUALITY OF JUSTICE - A MANAGEMENT STUDY OF THE ERIE COUNTY CRIMINAL COURT SYSTEM

• NCJ Number: 16294
• Author(s): R P RHODES; R S MORELLI; D G MACDONALD; J R KRUPEY; A CULBERTSON; P MUNSEN
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 50 pages
• Corporate Author: Pennsylvania Governor's Justice Cmssn
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Statistics
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

AN ASSESSMENT, FROM THE PROSECUTOR'S VIEWPOINT, OF A COUNTY COURT SYSTEM WITH A JURISDICTIONAL POPULATION OF ABOUT 250,000.

Abstract

CASE DOCUMENT FLOW DIAGRAMS WERE CONSTRUCTED TO MODEL THE SYSTEM. THE AUTHORS AGREED THAT ALTHOUGH A SYSTEM LIKE PROMIS (PROSECUTOR MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM) IS VIABLE AND DESIRABLE, IT IS DESIGNED FOR JURISDICTIONS LARGER THAN 600,000 PEOPLE. THEY SUGGEST INSTEAD THAT IT WOULD BE MORE ECONOMICAL TO TIE A CASE-TRACKING SYSTEM INTO PRESENT COUNTY COMPUTER FACILITIES SUCH AS THOSE AVAILABE TO THE TAX-ASSESSOR. THIS STUDY REVEALED THAT THE ERIE COUNTY COURT SYSTEM HAS NO SERIOUS, SYSTEMIC PROBLEM THAT WAS REVEALED BY THE DATA. THE AUTHORS SUGGEST, HOWEVER, THE ADDITION OF FULL-TIME PERSONNEL TO BOTH THE PROSECUTOR'S AND PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE. SEVERAL REVISED CLERICAL PROCEDURES ARE SUGGESTED FOR A MORE BUSINESSLIKE APPEARANCE AND IMPROVED CASE-TRACKING CAPABILITY.