NCJ Number
153113
Date Published
1993
Length
38 pages
Annotation
In Yakima County (Washington), the county jail is the most costly justice system element, and its demands are accelerating. This study was undertaken with the goal of recommending a plan to restrain or reverse the upward trend in the costs of operating the county jail.
Abstract
The study findings point to four primary issues: there is no single leader of the county's criminal justice system; the available data can be used more effectively than they have been to provide a profile of who is in jail and how this population can be managed; alternative programs including pretrial release and sentenced options are not used effectively and are underfunded; and the County Commission has no direct relationship with the jail. The most significant recommendation contained in this report is that the operation and administration of the county's jail should be placed under a single county Department of Corrections. 3 appendixes