NCJ Number
153118
Date Published
1991
Length
70 pages
Annotation
Based on data collected through extensive interviews with criminal justice officials and other sources, this report identified factors contributing to jail overcrowding in San Francisco.
Abstract
This causes report will be followed by a report outlining solutions to regulate jail overcrowding and a formal population management plan. This study found that there is a complete lack of reliable, readily accessible, system-wide data that are available for effective jail population management. As a result, there is also a lack of effective interagency policy development and decisionmaking about crowding issues. Police reports are not always made available in a timely manner, booking procedures are sloppy and incomplete, and pretrial procedures are inefficient. In addition, there are problems related to excessive bookings of mentally ill persons, delays and inadequacy in report preparation, sentencing practices that are insensitive to the availability of beds, and the inconsistent use of county parole. The probation department and courts are not prioritizing presentence investigation reports for in-custody cases, there is no uniform system to manage cases through speedy case settlement conferences, there is no personnel to operate an electronic monitoring program, and existing correctional facilities cannot accommodate the numbers and types of inmates currently incarcerated. 6 appendixes