NCJ Number
74096
Date Published
1979
Length
105 pages
Annotation
A detailed assessment of the pretrial release practices of the Correctional Volunteer Center (CVC) in Pima County, Arizona is presented.
Abstract
The center was established in 1972 to serve felony defendants. Investigations are held at the county jail immediately following booking, and trained volunteers pose questions regarding any drug, alcohol, health, or financial problems defendants may face. In addition, at least two references are obtained to verify the information received, and criminal records are examined. Recommendations made on the basis of these facts and the views of the county attorney may call for release, nonrelease, or the refusal of the CVC to take a position. The last option may occur if the defendant is on probation or parole, if the charge is first degree murder or a parole/probation violation, or if the verification procedure produced discrepancies in the information. At the present time, little contact is maintained with defendants who are released on their own recognizance. However, the program does monitor the extent to which defendants fulfill any other conditions the court may have imposed for their release. For all forms of nonfinancial release, the release rate during the period June 1975 through August 1978 was 51.5 percent of the total defendants booked; 37 percent of the cases investigated were granted supervised release. The total failure-to-appear rate for those defendants released on their own recognizance was close to the rate for those released on bond (about 15 percent in 1975). The CVC has demonstrated that nonfinancial release practices can be as effective in securing defendants for court and in protecting the community from further crimes as financial release practices. Data tables, footnotes, graphs, flow charts, and appendixes containing release forms are included.