NCJ Number
68647
Date Published
1979
Length
63 pages
Annotation
THE ACTIVITIES AND ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PRETRIAL SERVICES AGENCIES, FORMERLY KNOWN AS BAIL AGENCY, ARE DESCRIBED IN THIS REPORT FOR 1979, THE FIRST YEAR OF OPERATION OF THE AGENCY UNDER ITS NEW NAME.
Abstract
THE OPERATIONAL GOALS OF THE AGENCY ARE DEFINED AS ASSISTING CRIMINAL COURT JUDGES IN RELEASING AS MANY PERSONS PRETRIAL AS CAN SAFELY BE ARRANGED ON THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE CONDITIONS FEASIBLE TO INSURE THE RELEASEES' COURT APPEARANCE AND COMMUNITY SAFETY. AMONG THE SIGNIFICANT FIGURES CONTAINED IN THIS REPORT ARE THOSE REFLECTING COURT APPEARANCES FOR DEFENDANTS RELEASED ON NON-FINANCIAL CONDITIONS (I.E., WITHOUT BAIL): 95 PERCENT OF THIS TYPE OF RELEASEES APPEARED IN COURT AS SCHEDULED, WHILE 57 PERCENT OF THOSE WHO FAILED TO APPEAR WERE EITHER IN JAIL, IN A HOSPITAL, OR WERE REFERRED TO AN INCORRECT COURTROOM. CONSIDERING THE HIGH PRETRIAL RELEASE RATE IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, THE NON-APPEARANCE RATE IS DEFINED AS VERY LOW. STARTING IN OCTOBER 1979, EXPERIMENTS WERE CONDUCTED TO INSURE THE RETURN OF DEFENDANTS WHO FAILED TO APPEAR BEFORE AN ARREST WARRANT WAS ISSUED. ONE OF THE MOST ATTRACTIVE ALTERNATIVES TO PRETRIAL DETENTION, ACCORDING TO THIS REPORT, IS THE THIRD-PARTY CUSTODY RELEASE AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR PERSONAL RECOGNIZANCE. OTHER FEATURES CONTAINED IN THE REPORT INCLUDE THE DESCRIPTION OF AUTOMATED DATA PROCESSING PROGRAMS WRITTEN TO ASSIST THE AGENCY IN PROVIDING INFORMATION TO THE COURTS ON AN ON-LINE BASIS; RESEARCH; TRAINING AND STAFF POLICIES; COMMUNITY-RELATIONS ACTIVITIES (E.G., LECTURES AT COLLEGES AND NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERS, HOSTING FOREIGN COLLEAGUES); AND A LIST OF SHORT-RANGE AND LONG-RANGE PLANS FOR THE AGENCY'S FUTURE OPERATIONS. APPENDIXES GIVE EXPLANATORY NOTES ON VARIOUS REPORT TOPICS', THE 1979 FINANCIAL REPORT, AND A LIST OF AGENCY GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.