NCJ Number
160962
Date Published
1993
Length
26 pages
Annotation
Changes made in the New Jersey court system since 1987 to improve the processing of drug cases are described.
Abstract
Since 1987, the criminal courts have struggled with large increases in drug arrests and drug cases. A drug case backlog reduction program was initiated in 11 of the counties with the greatest backlogs. Twenty judges supported by teams of prosecutors, deputy attorneys general, and pool attorneys assigned by public defenders' offices surpassed its dispositional goal by 41 percent. Subsequent actions included the use of grant funds to add prosecutors and supporting staff, the establishment of case management techniques such as central judicial processing and individual judge calendars, and the transfer of 17 civil judges to the criminal court. A Bureau of Justice Assistance grant funded a pilot drug court project starting in January 1990 in Middlesex County. Another grant has funded court improvements in Mercer County as part of the Weed and Seed program. In 1992, the State Supreme Court approved the six operating standards developed for the New Jersey Criminal Division of the Superior Court. These improvements and the use of self-directed work teams have improved case flow, reduced backlogs, and increased worker quality and productivity. Figures