VIEW OF THE PRE-SENTENCE COUNSELING PROGRAM OF THE SEATTLE-KING COUNTY PUBLIC DEFENDER ASSOCIATION

• NCJ Number: 25138
• Author(s): ANON
• Date Published: 1974
• Length: 49 pages
• Corporate Author: King Cty Law and Justice Planning Office
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

EVALUATION OF THE KING COUNTY (WA) PUBLIC DEFENDER ASSOCIATION'S PRE-SENTENCE COUNSELING UNIT TO DETERMINE IF THIS UNIT SAVES COURT APPOINTED COUNSEL TIME IN THE PREPARATION OF REQUIRED PRE-SENTENCE REPORTS.

Abstract

THIS EVALUATION REPRESENTS AN ASSESSMENT OF THE SHORT TERM EFFECTS OF A PROGRAM WHICH EMPLOYS EX-OFFENDER COUNSELORS TO ELICIT BACKGROUND INFORMATION FROM CLIENTS AND TO DEVELOP WITH THEM THE LEAST RESTRICTIVE REHABILITATIVE ALTERNATIVE TO IMPRISONMENT. EVALUATION OF LONG-TERM IMPACT ON RECIDIVISM AND CASE REOPENINGS IS CONTINGENT UPON ACCUMULATION OF MORE DATA. IT WAS FOUND THAT ALTHOUGH THE PRE-SENTENCE COUNSELING UNIT DID NOT REDUCE REPORT PREPARATION TIME, IT DID GREATLY INCREASE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE OFFERED TO PUBLIC DEFENDER ASSOCIATION CLIENTS. JUDGES AND ATTORNEYS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROGRAM SUPPORTED ITS CONTINUATION.