NCJ Number
98303
Date Published
Unknown
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This paper describes the Night Prosecutor's Program (NPP) and the intake division of the City Attorney's Office in Columbus, Ohio.
Abstract
The program's goals include reducing the court caseload by redirecting cases that are not appropriate for the adversarial process and establishing an efficient mechanism for resolving minor criminal disputes. Interpersonal dispute hearings are the program's primary focus; however, the NPP's Bad Check Program has the largest number of cases -- 18,658 of the 29,000 in 1983. Another aspect of the program involves referrals from the Columbus Health Department for hearings on violations of health ordinances. A similar program has been established within the Bureau of Motor Vehicles for hearing problems concerning driver's licenses, license plates, and auto registrations. The newest program participant is the Southern Ohio Electric Company: hearings are scheduled after the utility has exhausted its resources in attempting to enforce statutes concerning tampering and theft of services. The NPP program is directed by a full-time coordinator and staffed by about 40 part-time mediators and counselors. The intake section, which screens all nonpolice complaints, employs 15 intake counselors who interview the complainants to identify the problem and the action to be taken. Among the possible solutions to the problem are a night prosecutor hearing, a formal complaint, and crisis intervention counseling. Between 75 and 125 complainants appear at the intake section every day; in 1983, there were 19,837 intake cases. Tables present NPP annual hearings and intake/NPP totals.