Report
Interagency Collaboration Jail Populations Pretrial and Bail May 14, 2015
Reducing Reliance on Local Jails
The causes of jail population increases and crowding are numerous, but most experts cite a rising number of pretrial detainees, the increased use of jails for housing persons who would otherwise be in state facilities, and a greater number of probation and parole violators as the key contributors to crowding. This paper synthesizes The Urban Institute’s experiences and lessons learned while evaluating local criminal justice system-reform efforts, along with knowledge of the literature pertaining to the topic. It provides an overview of the promising strategies emerging from the field, a logic model illustrating the necessary inputs and activities that are designed to yield reduced reliance on jails, and a recommended implementation and evaluation strategy of such a model.
