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Summary Comments for McLean County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council Stevenson Center Illinois State University Frank D. Beck Matthew J. Mullen Dan C. Sheets-Poling October 10, 2013 ---PAGE BREAK--- Number of Bookings, Length of Stay, and Total Bed Days: Comparing January through September, 2007 through 2013 • Number of Bookings are up for Class 1, Class M, Class X, Class 2, and Class 3 Felonies • Number of Bookings are down for Class 4 Felonies, Misdemeanors, DUIs, Traffic and Ordinance Violations, and those coming to the jail but not charged. • Average Length of Stay is up for Class M or X Felonies, virtually unchanged for other felonies, and significantly lower for Misdemeanors. The length of stay for DUIs and other violations are flat across the years. • The Total Bed Days used in the jail thus far in 2013 is up compared to 2011 and 2012, but lower than 2008 through 2010. • The Total Bed Days used for lesser offenses decreased over time. So, overall the jail is being used more to house persons on felony charges than before. ---PAGE BREAK--- Race and Ethnicity: Comparing January through September, 2007 through 2013 Bookings • For 2007 through 2011, the majority of bookings into the jail in McLean County were of white persons • The percentage of the jail population that is African American is larger than the same percentage in the County. So, the jail population is disproportionately African American. • However, in 2012 and (so far) in 2013, African Americans began to comprise just over 50% of the jail bookings. Average Bed Days Used (without respect to severity of the charge) • In 2007 through 2010 the length of stay in the jail was higher for Hispanic and Black inmates than it was for whites, and this difference was fairly consistent across those 4 years. • In 2011 and 2012 the ethnic and racial difference diminished to almost nothing. The difference returned in 2013 (so far), such that African American and Latino inmates experience longer stays. ---PAGE BREAK--- Average Length of Stay by Characteristics of the Charge and Ethnicity/Race: Comparing January through September, 2013 only • For all Felony Charge Categories, except Class 1, the majority of cases do not involve drugs or violence. • There are more Class 1 Felonies that are tied to a drug charge than are not. • Except for Class M or X Felonies, violence is involved in a minority of cases, regardless of charge severity. • Though not true for every level of charge or every racial/ethnic group, usually charges alleging violence stay longer in the jail; but these differences are not staggering. • With respect to the number of bookings, the majority of African Americans charged with a Class 1 Felony had at least one associated charge that was drug related. This is not true of any other group or any other charge category. ---PAGE BREAK--- Next Steps • Now that cases begun in 2012 have worked through the system, we will update the case processing analysis of Dr. Wells. Once understanding the basic patterns of 2012, we will develop a plan to analyze the data in more detail, making comparisons across years. • Using the method of measuring recidivism adopted by the Drug Court and Recovery Court, we will analyze recidivism among other persons in the system. We will do so by severity of charge, demographics, and prior convictions in McLean County. • We will develop a multivariate approach to measuring length of stay, including charge severity, prior convictions in McLean County, demographics, whether the charges involve drugs or violence, and more. This will allow the CJCC to see the relative contribution of multiple factors, while holding the other items constant. • Using the standard tables and graphs to which the parties are accustomed, continue updating how the jail is being used. • Work will be directed by the CJCC and its Committees.