NCJ Number
61379
Date Published
1979
Length
98 pages
Annotation
AN EVALUATION OF THE RELEASE-ON-RECOGNIZANCE (ROR) PROGRAM OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, FLORIDA, SINCE JULY 1977 IS PRESENTED; PROCESS MEASURES, OUTCOME MEASURES, AND CONCLUSIONS ARE HIGHLIGHTED.
Abstract
THE PURPOSE OF THE ROR PROGRAM IS TO DEMONSTRATE THAT THROUGH PROPER SCREENING, A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PRETRIAL DETAINEES CAN BE RELEASED FROM INCARCERATION ON THEIR OWN RECOGNIZANCE. THESE INDIVIDUALS CAN REMAIN IN THE COMMUNITY WITHOUT FURTHER CRIMINAL INVOLVEMENT DURING THE PRETRIAL PERIOD. THE SCREENING PROCESS AFTER BOOKING INCLUDES VERIFYING ARREST RECORD, EMPLOYMENT, AND RESIDENCE INFORMATION. STRUCTURED INTERVIEWS ARE CONDUCTED BY THE ROR STAFF AND ROR ELIGIBILITY IS DETERMINED USING STANDARD CRITERIA INCLUDING COMMUNITY AND FAMILY TIES, EMPLOYMENT OR SCHOOL RECORD, AND PRIOR RECORD STATUS. SIMULTANEOUSLY, INDIVIDUALS ARE SCREENED FOR MEDICAL, PSYCHOLOGICAL, AND OTHER SOCIAL SERVICE NEEDS. THE PRIMARY PROCESS MEASURES UTILIZED INCLUDE THE NUMBER OF PERSONS SCREENED AND THE NUMBER OF CLIENTS ROR'D AS A RESULT. FROM JULY 1, 1977 TO JUNE 30, 1978, 13,715 WERE SCREENED AND 1,332 ROR'D. AN ADDITIONAL PROCESS MEASURE IS THE PROPORTION OF CLIENTS RECOMMENDED TO THE COURTS FOR ROR WHO WERE ACTUALLY ROR'D BY THE JUDGES. NINETY-TWO PERCENT OF THOSE RECOMMENDED WERE ROR'D DURING THE EVALUATION PERIOD. OUTCOME MEASURES UTILIZED WERE FAILURE TO APPEAR RATES, RECISSION RATES, REARREST RATES, AND PROBATION DISPOSITION RATES. ROR CLIENTS WERE REARRESTED LESS OFTEN AND RECEIVED PROBATION MORE OFTEN. RECISSION AND FAILURE TO APPEAR RATES COMPARE FAVORABLY WITH THOSE OF BONDED DEFENDANTS. FINDINGS SUPPORT CONTINUATION OF THE PROGRAM, BUT IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT DATA COLLECTION PROCEDURES SHOULD BE STANDARDIZED, ONLY NECESSARY DATA SHOULD BE COLLECTED, CLIENT PROFILES SHOULD BE DEVELOPED, AND ACCURATE ROR CASE FILES SHOULD BE MAINTAINED. TABULAR INFORMATION AND APPENDIXES ARE INCLUDED IN THE EVALUATION. (LWM)