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Innovations - A Review of Innovative State Criminal Justice Programs

NCJ Number
75249
Author(s)
S Seymour
Date Published
1980
Length
16 pages
Annotation
Summaries of successful State programs designed to reduce crime are provided in this report, along with the names of people who can be contacted for further information and reports describing the programs in more detail.
Abstract
Three of the programs summarized deal with prison industries; five with sentencing; and two with improved apprehension of criminals. Seven other programs are described in one-paragraph summaries at the end of the report. Among the programs described are the Minnesota Community Corrections Act, a county-level program to involve citizens in corrections programs and reduce commitments to State prisons; the New Mexico State Crime Stoppers Program, a program designed to increase citizen reports on crimes and criminals by offering rewards and anonymity as incentives; and the California Uniform Determinate Sentencing Act, an attempt to punish criminals by imposing sentences directly related to the seriousness of the offense. Other programs described include the Oregon Pretrial Release Program, which bases expeditious pretrial release on possible imposition of penal sanctions for failure to appear for trial rather than on ability to post bail; the Minnesota Free Venture Program, which provides realistic work experiences for inmates in self-sufficient businesses; the Kentucky Pretrial Services Agency, which provides alternatives to commercial bail bonding; and the Georgia Restitution and Diversion Centers, which combine the concepts of restitution and community-based residential diversion programs. The North Carolina Pre-Release and Aftercare Program, a community-based correctional program that offers individualized treatment programs of prerelease and postrelease services is also described. Shorter treatment is given Utah's Coordinated Sentencing and Parole Release Guidelines, the Illinois Canine Unit, Texas' Apprenticeship and Training Program, Michigan's Parole Supervision Project and Mutual Objectives Probation, Florida's Use of Inmates on Contract Construction, and the Florida Inter-Agency Work Programs.