NCJ Number
112124
Date Published
1988
Length
38 pages
Annotation
This assessment of the impact of Suffolk County's (New York) bail expeditor component of the Probation Pretrial Expeditor, which is designed to facilitate the release of pretrial detainees, indicates that the program has had its projected impact in reducing jail overcrowding.
Abstract
The program provides competent and timely information to assist the court in making decisions regarding the eligibility of detainees for release on their own recognizance. Project staff serviced 3,892 cases during 1986, an increase of 1,257 cases over 1985, thus meeting the project's stated goal of servicing an additional 1,260 cases annually. Project staff was instrumental in the early release of 792 persons on bail or a less restrictive alternative. This not only surpassed program objectives by 32 cases but resulted in a savings of 5,364 jail days during 1986. Independent indicators from the Sheriff's Office indicate that although average daily jail admissions were increasing in 1986, the average daily inmate population was down over the same period in 1985. The program has apparently helped to reduce the jail overcrowding problem by approximately 18-25 beds daily. 31 tables and 13 references.