EVALUATION OF THE PRETRIAL SERVICES AGENCY OF THE VERA INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE - FINAL REPORT

• NCJ Number: 55308
• Author(s): P LAZARSFELD
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 120 pages
• Corporate Author: Vera Institute of Justice
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE PRETRIAL SERVICES AGENCY (PTSA) OF THE INSTITUTE OF JUSTICE, NEW YORK CITY, IS EVALUATED. IT IS CONSIDERED SUCCESSFUL IN ASSURING APPEARANCE OF RELEASED PERSONS FOR THEIR TRIAL.

Abstract

THE PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE PRETRIAL SERVICES AGENCY IS TO HELP IDENTIFY ARRESTED PERSONS WHO DESERVE TO BE RELEASED ON THEIR OWN RECOGNIZANCE AND TO MAKE SURE THAT SUCH PERSONS APPEAR IN COURT WHEN NEEDED. BECAUSE MANY STEPS INTERVENE BETWEEN THE BEGINNING AND END OF THIS PROCESS, THE PURPOSE OF THIS EVALUATION WAS TO STUDY EACH STEP AND ITS RELATION TO THE FINAL COURT APPEARANCE. THIS STUDY USED RECORD DATA AND FIELD OBSERVATION. THE GENERAL CONCLUSION OF THE EVALUATION WAS THAT THE STEPS TAKEN BY PTSA WERE SUCCESSFUL IN GETTING THE DEFENDANT TO APPEAR AT THE FINAL COURT HEARING. IT WAS FOUND THAT IF A DEFENDANT WAS RECOMMENDED FOR RELEASE, HE WAS MORE LIKELY TO STAY IN TOUCH WITH THE AGENCY THAN IF THE JUDGE RELEASED HIM WITHOUT AGENCY RECOMMENDATION, THAT DEFENDANTS WHO STAYED IN TOUCH WITH THE AGENCY ARE MORE LIKELY TO APPEAR IN COURT, AND THAT JUDGES, TO A CONSIDERABLE EXTENT, FOLLOWED THE ADVICE OF PTSA. THE PTSA POINT SYSTEM WAS ALSO EXAMINED IN THIS EVALUATION. THE POINT SYSTEM'S PURPOSE WAS TO MEASURE THE EXTENT OF A DEFENDANT'S COMMUNITY TIES AND THE PROBABILITY THAT HE WILL APPEAR IN COURT. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE POINT SYSTEM WAS GENERALLY SUCCESSFUL, BUT WAS COMPLICATED. A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT TWO VARIABLES WERE USEFUL FOR PREDICTING A DEFENDANT'S APPEARANCE IN COURT: (1) WHETHER THE DEFENDANT HAD A TELEPHONE, AND (2) WHETHER HE EXPECTED SOMEONE, FRIEND OR RELATIVE, TO APPEAR AT HIS ARRAIGNMENT. THIS EVALUATION WAS NOT IMPRESSED WITH THE SECTION OF THE AGENCY DEALING WITH SUPERVISED RELEASE. THE OPERATION WAS EXPENSIVE AND DID NOT MAKE ENOUGH USE OF AVAILABLE INFORMATION. COMPARING THE PERFORMANCE OF PTSA FOR THE PERIOD 1973-1974 TO ITS PERFORMANCE FOR THE PERIOD 1972-1973, IT WAS FOUND THAT OVERTIME JUDGES BECAME MORE LIKELY TO ACCEPT PTSA RECOMMENDATIONS. TABLES ARE PROVIDED. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED--MLC)