NCJ Number
130073
Date Published
1990
Length
26 pages
Annotation
This review and analysis of criminal case processing in Hennepin County, Minn., determined whether operating a night division of the district court would have any meaningful effect on reducing overcrowding in the jail and whether the establishment of a night court division could be justified in terms of the personnel and financial resources involved' in operating a division of the district court at night.
Abstract
Traditionally, night courts have been used in general jurisdiction trial courts where there are not enough courtrooms to accommodate the number of judges. Generally, night courts are unable to take advantage of the economies of scale in terms of clerical, security, probation office, and data processing support available to day courts. Night courts are therefore very expensive and inefficient to operate. In Hennepin County, for the period September 18, 1989, to October 15, 1989, the average daily total inmate count was 530. With a physical capacity of 394, it is clear that the jail, on average, is 130 beds over capacity (based on the September and October figures). This study concludes that the number of inmates that would be released through a night court bail review proceeding would not make a significant dent in the overall jail overcrowding problem. The night court bail review might accelerate the release of misdemeanor defendants by 12-14 hours and felony defendants by 16-18 hours. The study offers recommendations for pretrial release. Appended list of persons interviewed and a night court rationale