NCJ Number
1732
Date Published
1971
Length
96 pages
Annotation
THE PROJECT SELECTED AND RELEASED DEFENDANTS JAILED DUE TO INABILITY TO POST MONEY BAIL OR TO MEET RELEASE-ON-RECOGNIZANCE (ROR) CRITERIA.
Abstract
PROJECT RESULTS INDICATE OF 141 DEFENDANTS INTERVIEWED, EIGHTY-ONE WERE RELEASED TO THE PROJECT'S FULL-RANGE COMMUNITY TREATMENT PROGRAM DURING AN EIGHT-MONTH OPERATIONAL PERIOD. ALL DEFENDANTS WHOSE CASES REACHED COURT DISPOSITION APPEARED FOR TRIAL. FIVE CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS (8.2 PERCENT) WERE CHARGED TO PEOPLE IN THIS GROUP. THESE RESULTS COMPARE FAVORABLY WITH WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT PRETRIAL RELEASE (ROR) OUTCOMES IN DES MOINES AND ELSEWHERE, INCLUDING BAIL RELEASE. THUS, THE PROGRAM SHOWS THAT DEFENDANTS, WHO HAVE BEEN CONSIDERED POOR RISKS FOR PRETRIAL RELEASE, CAN BE RELEASED WITH NO GREATER DANGER TO THE COMMUNITY THAN THAT PRESENTED BY PERSONS ON MONEY BAIL. THE PROJECT, DEMONSTRATED THAT IT COULD - OBTAIN EMPLOYMENT FOR UNEMPLOYED DEFENDANTS, REMOVE DEFENDANTS FROM WELFARE ROLLS, SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE JAIL COSTS, ALLEVIATE THE HARDSHIP OF NONCONVICTED DEFENDANTS, AND GENERALLY PAY FOR ITSELF. THE PROJECT APPEARS TO HAVE A DIRECT IMPACT UPON THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. DEFENDANTS RELEASED TO THE PROJECT, COMPARED TO A PRE-SELECTED CONTROL GROUP OF COMPARABLE NON-RELEASED DEFENDANTS, WERE LESS LIKELY TO BE INCARCERATED SUBSEQUENT TO CONVICTION. ALSO, RELEASED DEFENDANTS EMPLOYED PRIVATE COUNSEL MORE OFTEN THAN DID THOSE NOT RELEASED. BASED UPON ALL AVAILABLE EVIDENCE, THE EVALUATION OF EFFECTIVENESS INDICATES THAT THE DES MOINES MODEL NEIGHBORHOOD CORRECTIONS PROJECT SHOULD BE CONTINUED AND AUGMENTED. ALSO, THERE IS SUFFICIENT BASIS TO CONSIDER THE PROJECT AS A MODEL FOR IMPLEMENTATION ELSEWHERE.