NCJ Number
47318
Date Published
1978
Length
28 pages
Annotation
TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFECT OF PRETRIAL SUPERVISION ON HIGH-RISK DEFENDANTS RELEASED WITHOUT BAIL BY THE COURT, FAILURE TO APPEAR, REARREST, CONDITION COMPLIANCE, AND AN INDEX OF THE FIRST TWO VARIABLES WERE ASSESSED.
Abstract
THE STUDY WAS UNDERTAKEN BY THE BAIL AGENCY IN WASHINGTON, D.C. THE SAMPLE CONSISTED OF 300 RANDOMLY SELECTED FELONY CASES, RANDOMLY ASSIGNED TO ONE OF THREE SUPERVISION GROUPS. THE PASSIVE SUPERVISION (PS) GROUP SERVED AS CONTROLS; SUPERVISION INVOLVED NORMAL AGENCY DUTIES AND RECORDING OF DEFENDANT-INITIATED CONTACTS. SUBJECTS IN THE MODERATE SUPERVISION (MS) GROUP WERE CONTACTED EVERY TWO WEEKS BY THE AGENCY IN ADDITION TO THE NORMAL LEVEL OF SUPERVISION. THE PURPOSE OF THE CONTACTS WAS TO REMIND DEFENDANTS OF THEIR RESPONSIBILITIES AND TO DETERMINE ANY PROBLEMS THAT MIGHT AFFECT PRETRIAL PERFORMANCE. THE INTENSIVE SUPERVISION (IS) SUBJECTS RECEIVED NORMAL SUPERVISION, PLUS BIWEEKLY CONTACT, PLUS MONTHLY VISITS TO THE DEFENDANT'S RESIDENCE OR PLACE OF EMPLOYMENT. IN ADDITION, THE DEFENDANTS' COUNSELORS WERE ALERTED TO ANY UNUSUAL BEHAVIOR OR ACTIVITY WHICH MIGHT REQUIRE FURTHER CONTACT. AN ASSESSMENT OF DEMOGRAPHIC AND CRIMINAL HISTORY FACTORS AS WELL AS CASE HISTORY AND RELEASE CONDITIONS INDICATED NO SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCES IN THE MAKE-UP OF THE THREE GROUPS. ANALYSIS OF DATA INDICATED THAT IS SUBJECTS MADE 98 PERCENT OF REQUIRED APPEARANCES AS COMPARED TO 96 PERCENT FOR THE MS AND 95 PERCENT FOR THE PS SUBJECTS. PRETRIAL CRIME AS MEASURED BY REARREST DURING THE PRETRIAL PERFORMANCE WAS NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT FOR THE THREE GROUPS: 19.6 PERCENT FOR THE PS GROUP, 19.8 PERCENT FOR THE MS GROUP, AND 19.5 PERCENT FOR THE IS GROUP. OF DEFENDANTS IN THE IS GROUP, 71 PERCENT COMPLIED WITH ALL THEIR CONDITIONS OF RELEASE AS COMPARED WITH 62 PERCENT AND 52 PERCENT IN THE MS AND PS GROUPS RESPECTIVELY. OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF DEFENDANTS REARRESTED, 80 PERCENT WERE ORIGINALLY CHARGED WITH ROBBERY, BURGLARY, AUTO THEFT, FORGERY, AND LARCENY. LOWEST REARREST RATES WERE FOR THOSE CHARGED WITH ASSAULT, SEXUAL ASSAULT, FRAUD, HOMICIDE, AND PROPERTY CRIMES. FINDINGS INDICATE THAT ALTHOUGH FREQUENCY AND INTENSITY OF SUPERVISORY CONTACT DO NOT APPEAR TO AFFECT PRETRIAL REARREST, THEY CAN IMPROVE COMPLIANCE WITH PRERELEASE CONDITIONS AND INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD OF COURT APPEARANCE. (JAP)