RT Article
T1 Increasing Pretrial Releases and Reducing Felony Convictions for Defendants: implications for Desistance from Crime
JF Canadian journal of criminology and criminal justice
VO 62
IS 3
SP 51
OP 70
A1 Pratt, Travis C.
A1 May-Czyżowska, Teresa 1935-2012
A1 Kan, Lisa
A2 May-Czyżowska, Teresa 1935-2012
A2 Kan, Lisa
LA English
YR 2020
UL https://krimdok.uni-tuebingen.de/Record/1742746535
AB The bulk of the desistance literature has focused on social/contextual factors (marriage, employment, peers) and their criminogenic consequences. Less attention has been devoted to the role of criminal justice system involvement in the desistance process, and most of the existing research indicates that system involvement tends to inhibit or delay desistance from crime. One recent effort to combat that pattern was implemented with the Responsive Interventions for Change (RIC) Docket in Harris County, Texas, in 2016. The RIC Docket was intended to increase defendants' access to a pretrial release bond and to reduce rates of felony convictions, thus lowering the risk of disrupting important prosocial ties and avoiding potentially stigmatizing labels. In the present study, we use case processing data on rates of pretrial release and felony convictions from one year prior to (N = 6,792) and three years following (N = 12,152) the implementation of the RIC Docket. Results show that those processed through the RIC Docket were 24% more likely to have access to pretrial release and 45% less likely to have their cases result in a conviction. We conclude by discussing the importance of policy changes intended to reduce barriers to the successful desistance process for individuals involved in the justice system. (English)
K1 Bond ratings
K1 Criminal  justice system
K1 Felonies
K1 Justice administration
K1 Pretrial Release
K1 Bail
K1 Caution
K1 Criminal stigma
K1 Desistance from crime
K1 Texas
DO 10.3138/cjccj.2020-0005