The Governor's Crime Commission awarded Durham County a 12-month grant to conduct a system analysis and develop a jail population management plan. A committee convened by the county manager met 13 times, using structured group processes and the Nominal Group Technique to determine 7 priority areas for research. An analysis of the role of the inability of inmates to make bond concluded that the county needs a pretrial release program, continuous calendaring of jailed defendants by the district attorney's office, guidelines for setting bail amounts, and revisions of bond statutes. Additional research focused on the use of criminal summonses and their impact on jail overcrowding. It noted that magistrates strongly influence jail populations because they determine probable cause and whether or not an arrested defendant will be incarcerated or issued a criminal summons. For the magistrates' office to handle its role more effectively, revised guidelines for the use of criminal summonses instead of incarceration, improved compensation for magistrates, and improved training are all needed. Photographs, tables, and footnotes