NCJ Number
188988
Journal
American Jails Volume: 15 Issue: 1 Dated: March-April 2001 Pages: 58-63
Date Published
March 2001
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Parole officials in New York have developed innovative strategies that have dramatically reduced the number of parole violators in local jails without compromising community safety.
Abstract
The number of parole violators housed in local jails declined by nearly 30 percent between January 1999 and August 2000. The number of parole cases in local jails waiting for a final revocation hearing dropped by 42 percent statewide; the time to complete a final hearing in New York City for technical violations declined 61 percent. An important first step in changing the parole violation system involved improving communication and common goals between the State Criminal Justice Division and local jail administrators. Specific initiatives that led to an unprecedented drop in the number of violation cases at Rikers Island included a no-nonsense adjournment policy and the K-calendar, a control mechanism that allowed parole violators with pending felony convictions to opt for an openended adjournment until the pending felony was decided. The next phase involved the development of a special plea court for parole violators. New management reports and other initiatives supported smaller jails. Each initiative has contributed to a more efficient parole violation system in New York. Addresses from which to obtain more information