Author: Walsh, Nastassia
Title: Baltimore Behind Bars: How to Reduce the Jail Population, Save Money and Improve Public Safety
Summary: This report details Baltimore's complex system of city policing practices and court and bail processes that contribute to a high percentage of city residents being detained in jail, often unneccessarily. The report also finds that the courts are clogged with too many cases, which further contributes to people being held pre-trial for extended periods of time. The report details how more than half of the prople arrested in Baltimore are locked up in jail to await trial, with more than half of those in jail not being offered bail. The State of Maryland, which owns and operates the jail complex, is currently planning two new jail facilities in Baltimore at an estimated cost of $280 million. The report notes that while these facilities will be an improvement over aging facilities, they may needlessly increase the number of people incarcerated in the jails. Increasing the number of jail beds, and improving facilities, may create a disincentive to finding effective alternatives to pretrial detention, leading to more people in jail instead of less. The report recommends that by implementing effective solutions to reduce the number of people in the current jail, money could be re-directed towards services like education, employment support and treatment.
Details: Washington, DC: Justice Policy Institute, 2010. 73p.
Source: Internet Resource
Year: 2010
Country: United States
URL:
Shelf Number: 119132
Keywords:
BailJail OvercrowdingJailsPretrial Detention (Baltimore) |
