Digging Deeper: Performance Measurement, Case Processing, and Impacts on Length of Stay

• In Event: Case Processing Matters: The Critical Role it Plays in Jail Decarceration and Court Management

Abstract

This analysis examines court case processing times across several jurisdictions participating in the Safety and Justice Challenge (SJC), focusing on time to disposition and how it varies by gender, race, and charge severity, with particular attention given to the impact of the pandemic on case processing times. Using criminal court data from SJC sites, the analysis considers how case processing efficiency—or delays—affect the speed at which cases are resolved. Findings indicate that case processing times increased sharply immediately after the pandemic, with felony cases taking longer to resolve than misdemeanor cases. However, misdemeanor case processing times continued to increase long after the pandemic while felony processing times leveled off. Case processing efficiency impacts jail populations, as longer case resolution times contribute to increased jail lengths of stay, particularly for individuals held in pretrial detention. Despite overall reductions in jail admissions across SJC sites, prolonged processing times offset jail population declines, underscoring the need for improvements to further reduce prolonged pretrial detention while ensuring due process and public safety.

Authors

• Douglas Evans, CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance

• Otgonjargal Okhidoi, CUNY Institute for State and Local Governance

• Alexis Peachey, Institute for State and Local Governance (ISLG)