IMPROVING THE CRIMINAL PROCESSING OF MISDEMEANANTS - THE IMPROVED LOWER COURT CASE HANDLING PROGRAM - KALAMAZOO (KALAMAZOO COUNTY), MICHIGAN - NATIONAL EVALUATION FINAL REPORT

• NCJ Number: 49694
• Author(s): E CHELIMSKY; M FISCHEL; J SASFY
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 112 pages
• Grant Number(s): 76-NI-99-0078
• Corporate Author: Mitre Corporation
• Sale Source: Mitre Corporation
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

THE IMPROVED LOWER COURT CASE HANDLING (ILCCH) PROGRAM IN KALAMAZOO COUNTY, MICH., WAS EVALUATED AS PART OF A LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE ADMINISTRATION EFFORT TO IMPROVE THE CASE PROCESSING OF MISDEMEANANTS.

Abstract

EIGHT PROGRAM COMPONENTS WERE DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THE PROCESSING OF MISDEMEANANT OFFENDERS. FOUR COMPONENTS OFFERED LAW ENFORCEMENT AND JUDICIAL PERSONNEL LESS DRASTIC METHODS FOR HANDLING MISDEMEANANTS: POLICE CITATIONS, COURT SUMMONS, PRETRIAL RELEASE, AND SELECT OFFENDER PROBATION. THREE COMPONENTS WERE DESIGNED TO PROVIDE CONSISTENCY AND EFFICIENCY IN HANDLING MISDEMEANOR CASES: CASE SCREENING, PROMIS, AND SHORT FORM PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION REPORTS. THE EIGHTH COMPONENT KNOWN AS THE MASS CASE COORDINATOR WAS DESIGNED TO FOSTER COOPERATION AMONG PROGRAM COMPONENTS AND ACROSS CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES. THE ILCCH PROGRAM IN KALAMAZOO WAS UNIQUE IN MAINTAINING AN ACTIVE COORDINATING COUNCIL COMPOSED OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM CRIMINAL JUSTICE AGENCIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. A UNIFORM CITATION FORM WAS DEVELOPED AND ADOPTED BY ALL POLICE AGENCIES. EFFORTS TO IMPLEMENT COURT SUMMONS FOR USE IN HANDLING CRIMINAL COMPLAINTS FAILED. A MISDEMEANOR PRETRIAL RELEASE PROGRAM WAS DEVELOPED TO EXTEND INTERVIEW/RECOMMENDATION SERVICES AVAILABLE TO FELONS TO MISDEMEANANTS. SCREENING WAS CONDUCTED BY ALL PROSECUTIONAL AGENCIES IN THE COUNTY, SO THE SCREENING COMPONENT WAS DIRECTED TOWARD PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THE CONSISTENCY OF SCREENING AND CHARGING PRACTICES. A SEMIAUTOMATED INFORMATION SYSTEM WAS IMPLEMENTED THAT POSSESSED MANY FEATURES OF THE PROMIS MODEL AND A WORD PROCESSING CAPABILITY. A COUNTYWIDE SHORT FORM PRESENTENCE INVESTIGATION REPORT WAS NOT ADOPTED BY PROBATION AGENCIES BECAUSE CONSENSUS ON THE NATURE OF THE FORM WAS NEVER REACHED. THE SELECT OFFENDER PROBATION COMPONENT OPERATED AS AN ADJUNCT TO THE EXISTING PROBATION AGENCY IN KALAMAZOO; IT SERVED 33 CLIENTS SELECTED AS HIGH-RISK MISDEMEANANTS ACCORDING TO A SET OF FORMAL CRITERIA. THE COORDINATING COUNCIL, MORE THAN ANY PROGRAM COMPONENT, BROUGHT INCREASED VISIBILITY TO MISDEMEANANT PROCESSING AND DEMONSTRATED THAT AN INTERAGENCY APPROACH TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE PROBLEMS CAN RESULT IN COORDINATED SOLUTIONS TO SYSTEM PROBLEMS. A DESCRIPTION OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IN KALAMAZOO COUNTY AND A WARRANT REQUEST AND DISPOSITION FORM ARE APPENDED.