NCJ Number
77293
Date Published
1977
Length
23 pages
Annotation
The results of a preliminary analysis of the performance of 29 Virginia urban, suburban, and rural criminal justice systems are presented.
Abstract
Among the variables measured were size, income, expenditures for law enforcement, crime rates, processing of arrested persons, numbers of criminal justice personnel, and jail capacity. Variables were combined to constitute measures of input, output, performance, and workload. The results showed that in the area of law enforcement, jurisdictions with higher crime rates spend more to combat crime; the total of arrests per sworn officer and clearance rates go down as the median income level of jurisdictions goes up; income levels and levels of expenditure correlate more highly with property crime rates than with violent crime rates; and the expenditure level is and highly correlated with population density. Furthermore, the analysis demonstrated that a higher number of equivalent full-time Commonwealth Attorneys results in fewer persons being arrested for felony offenses and tried for misdemeanors. Moreover the percent of felony arrests going to trial is adversely affected by the total number of arrests per Commonwealth Attorney, as is the time required to bring felony cases to trial. In addition, in jurisdictions with a higher number of persons arrested for either felonies or misdemeanors, the percentage of persons arrested for and convicted of a misdemeanor who receive confinement sentences is higher. Other results and profiles of geographical groupings are provided. Data tables are included. (Author abstract modified)