Understanding the Jail Population in New York City: Findings from the Misdemeanor Justice Project

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract

Despite their unique role in detaining individuals at different stages of case processing, jails are one of the most understudied criminal justice contact points. Two recent reports by the Misdemeanor Justice Project (MJP) examined trends in annual admissions, bail amount set, length of stay, and discharge category of the jail population in New York City from 1995 to 2015. This panel extends the findings of the MJP reports and seeks to better understand the nuances of individuals admitted to corrections over the same time span. The first presentation will provide background context and summarize key findings from the MJP reports. The second presentation will focus on examining trajectories of those admitted to jail multiple times. The third presentation will examine county-level as well as demographic, and criminogenic predictors of pretrial length of stay. The fourth presentation will examine which demographic and charge variables are associated with “Brad H” status, a proxy for mental health issues in New York City corrections data. Taken together, these presentations will provide a more in-depth understanding of the jail population in New York City and provide policy recommendations. The panel will also highlight the need to better understand jails as a criminal justice contact point.

Sub Unit

• Area VII. Criminal Justice Policy and Practice / 34. Corrections

Division of Special Interest

• Divisions of Special Interest / Division on Corrections & Sentencing

Individual Presentations

• Trends in Jail Admissions and Custody, New York City Department of Correction - Preeti Chauhan, The Graduate Center, John Jay College / CUNY; Adam Gregory Fera, The Graduate Center, John Jay College / CUNY

• Understanding the Overlooked Trajectories of Jail Admissions - Jaeok Kim, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Research Network on Misdemeanor Justice; Preeti Chauhan, The Graduate Center, John Jay College / CUNY

• Waiting for Trial at Rikers Island: What Factors Influence Pretrial Length of Stay? - Quinn Hood, The Graduate Center, John Jay College / CUNY; Jaeok Kim, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Research Network on Misdemeanor Justice

• Exploring the Correlates of a Mental Health Indicator for Inmates in New York City Jails - Shannon Tomascak, The Graduate Center, John Jay College / CUNY; Shiny Sharma, The Graduate Center, John Jay College / CUNY; Preeti Chauhan, The Graduate Center, John Jay College / CUNY

Chair

• Meredith L. Patten, John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Research Network on Misdemeanor Justice

Discussant

• Jeremy Travis, Laura and John Arnold Foundation