NCJ Number
149003
Date Published
1993
Length
105 pages
Annotation
This report presents the methodology, findings, and recommendations from an evaluation of the "Drug Court," known officially as Division "S", which was intended to expedite the processing of drug cases in the Twenty-fourth Judicial District in Jefferson Parish, La.
Abstract
Due to a dramatic crime increase in Jefferson Parish and the large number of drug cases in the district court, Division "S" was established on May 1, 1991, under a Federal grant. By not having a civil docket, Division "S", unlike the other divisions of the Twenty-fourth District, devotes all of its resources to the processing of drug cases. The evaluation examined relevant court and jail statistics before and after the court was established. The evaluation found a number of significant achievements by the court. It possibly contributed to the reduction in the average daily population of pretrial inmates with drug charges, surpassed all Federal grant goals, decreased the mean time from arrest to disposition while increasing the mean length of a prison term, and significantly decreased the granting of three or more continuances in a drug case. The court also had some shortcomings. It has not complied with the ABA disposition standard; the allotment-to-arraignment process increased significantly; the arraignment-to-disposition sequence did not decrease significantly; the track system did not differentiate between classes of drug offenses; and the allotment-to-arraignment process added unnecessary disposition time. Recommendations for improvement are offered. 10 tables, 35 graphs, and a 21-item bibliography