NCJ Number
50926
Date Published
1978
Length
74 pages
Annotation
THE MULTIPLE OFFENDER PROJECT IN JACKSONVILLE, FLA., IS EVALUATED BY COMPARING PROSECUTION OF A RANDOM SAMPLE OF CONVICTED MULTIPLE OFFENDERS IN 1974, BEFORE THE PROJECT BEGAN, WITH A SIMILAR SAMPLE IN 1977.
Abstract
THE LEAA-SPONSORED PROJECT ATTEMPTED TO REDUCE CRIME THROUGH SWIFT PROSECUTION AND INCARCERATION OF RECIDIVISTS. THE DEFINITION OF 'MULTIPLE OFFENDER' UNDER THE FLORIDA SUBSEQUENT OFFENDER STATUTE IS PROVIDED, PROCEDURES FOR PROSECUTION UNDER THIS LAW ARE DETAILED, AND THE FUNCTIONING OF THE JACKSONVILLE PROJECT IS EXAMINED. THE 1974 DATA WERE DRAWN FROM A RANDOM SAMPLE OF 100 CASES REPRESENTING EACH OF THE FOUR CRIMINAL DIVISIONS. SOME CASES INVOLVED MORE THAN ONE DEFENDANT, AND A TOTAL OF 453 INDIVIDUALS WERE INVOLVED. FROM THESE, 131 MULTIPLE OFFENDERS WERE ISOLATED FOR STUDY. THEIR HANDLING WAS COMPARED TO A SIMILAR RANDOM SAMPLE OF 131 MULTIPLE OFFENDERS PROCESSED UNDER PROJECT GUIDELINES. THE EIGHT OBJECTIVES OF THE PROJECT ARE LISTED, AND THE ACTUAL HANDLING OF THE CASES IS EXPLORED IN DETAIL. IT WAS FOUND THAT THE PROJECT DID PROSECUTE IDENTIFIED MULTIPLE OFFENDERS TO THE FULLEST EXTENT OF THE LAW, GENERALLY WITHOUT ACCEPTING PLEAS TO LESSER INCLUDED OFFENSES. THE AVERAGE SENTENCE INCREASED FROM 3.32 YEARS TO 5.5 YEARS AS A RESULT OF THE PROJECT, AND THE NUMBER OF OFFENDERS SERVING LONGER TERMS IN THE STATE PENITENTIARY DOUBLED. THE LACK OF PLEA BARGAINING, HOWEVER, INCREASED BOTH THE TIME REQUIRED FOR TRIAL AND THE AMOUNT OF HANDLING REQUIRED FOR EACH CASE. (TIME INCREASED FROM 41.1 DAYS TO 85.5 DAYS FOR BURGLARY CASES AND FROM 65.4 DAYS TO 113.7 DAYS FOR POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES.) IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT PLEA BARGAINING BE ALLOWED WHEN IT DOES NOT INTERFERE WITH PROJECT GOALS AND THAT WORK-SAVING MEASURES BE DEVELOPED FOR COURT STAFF. CHARTS AND TABLES PRESENT EVALUATION DATA. REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (GLR)