National Conference on Pretrial Release and Diversion - An Address by Senator Dennis DeConcini

• NCJ Number: 81627
• Author(s): D DeConcini
• Date Published: Unknown
• Length: 0 pages
• Grant Number(s): 76-ED-99-0031
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice
• Publication Format: Film
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: *This document is currently unavailable from NCJRS. Videotape, 30 minutes, color, 1 inch - Conference held May 10-13, 1977, Arlington, Virginia.

Annotation

In this videotape Senator Dennis DeConcini discusses his experience as the creator of a prosecutorial pretrial diversion program in Pima County, Ariz., and outlines the features of a proposed bill, the Federal Criminal Diversion Act of 1977.

Abstract

The Pima County program has succeeded in several areas. The program involves restitution to the victims of the offense, has a requirement that program participants volunteer their services in the community on weekends on a regular basis, and requires that all program participants admit that they did commit an offense. The proposed bill would encourage pretrial programs to get the offender into the program at the time of arrest before indictment, provided the offender meets certain criteria and that relevant officials agree to the offender's participation in the program. Having such a program can substantially affect the prosecutors' caseload, enabling them to spend more time on the serious offenses. The bill would provide that if the individual complies with the program for a year, the case will be dismissed. For the final report of this conference, see NCJ 51935.