Time Lost Isn't the Only Casualty
Slow case processing can lead to higher failure-to-appear rates and packed detention centers while simultaneously undercutting the efficacy of detention alternatives.
This report, the fifth installment in a series devoted to revolutionizing detention programs in America, spotlights how sites can streamline case processing procedures to move juveniles into — and out of — detention more quickly. The end result? A cheaper, more efficient system that everyone — public officials, justice-involved youth and even politicians — can appreciate.
Slow case processing can lead to higher failure-to-appear rates and packed detention centers while simultaneously undercutting the efficacy of detention alternatives.
Depending on the political climate, some solutions for easing detention center overcrowding can be legislative poison (e.g.,cutting admissions and releasing juveniles from confinement). The less controversial option? Changing case processing procedures.
Juvenile justice officials in Sacramento County, California, created a special short form that shared only the facts necessary for all parties to engage in plea negotiations. The aim was simple: Less prep work and less paperwork = faster dispositions.
Interested in improving case processing at your site? Start by gathering what big-picture data you can. Then, rally all key players and conduct an official System Walk-Through.
The Public Defenders Office in Cook County, Illinois, created a special unit staffed by two paralegals who interviewed juveniles before their first court hearing and used the information to draft up alternative release plans. The strategy worked. In the unit’s first six months, nearly 50% of juveniles interviewed were released from detention because of the defense’s pre-hearing preparations.
Sacramento County’s juvenile justice officials were able to resolve cases involving detained youth five times faster — in just five days — thanks to its Detention Early Resolution (DER) effort.
By reducing unnecessary case processing delays, sites can cut the number of detention centers beds used, which translates to substantial savings in a facility’s operating costs.
The goal is to follow each alleged offense with prompt action, say juvenile justice experts. Wait too long and the youth involved may fail to connect the dots between behaviors and consequences.
This report shares six tips from Juvenile Detention Alternatives Initiative (JDAI) sites that undertook — and succeeded in — streamlining case processing in their jurisdictions. Some of their advice? Get the judges on board; don’t tackle this reform effort first; and accurate, trusted data is vital for system change.
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