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                            Library & Multimedia
 Organizational Efficiency and Early Disposition Programs in Federal Courts, Final Report
NCJ Number
              244386

Author(s)
          KiDeuk Kim
Date Published

December 2013
Length
              103 pages
Annotation
              In examining the impact of Federal courts' "fast-track" programs on case processing time and sentence length, this study used Federal Justice Statistics Program data from fiscal year 2006 to fiscal year 2009.
Abstract
              "Fast-track" programs in Federal sentencing allow a prosecutor to offer a below-guidelines sentence in exchange for a defendant's prompt guilty plea and waiver of certain pretrial and post-conviction rights. These programs have been authorized for use in some, but not all, Federal districts. They are used mostly for immigration offenses. The findings of the current study indicate that fast-track programs have reduced case processing time and increased sentencing disparity; however, the extent of the impact of fast-track programs on these outcomes has been modest. Fast-track participants who waived the due process right to appeal in exchange for a reduced sentence did not receive as much of a reduction in sentence length as anticipated. The estimated reduction in case- processing time was also moderate, producing modest savings in resources. This study advises that more attention should be given to how fast-track programs are implemented, since there is significant variation in the use of these programs across districts. Also, although immigration offenses have become the largest offense category in the Federal justice system, little is known about how immigration cases are processed. The report recommends that the Federal Government require higher standards of accountability, efficiency, and equity in the processing of immigration cases. In addition, research should be conducted on the process of prosecutorial and judicial decisionmaking in Federal courts, as well as the evaluation of the cost-effectiveness of sentencing options in fast-track cases. 13 exhibits, 79 references, and appended approved fast-track programs involving immigration offenses, descriptive summary of analytic samples, and alternative modeling
      
  
          Additional Details
Grant Number(s)
        2010-IJ-CX-0013


  
  
        
  Agencies
        NIJ-Sponsored


  
  
        
  Publication Type
        Research (Applied/Empirical)
                                Report (Study/Research)
                                Report (Grant Sponsored)


  
  
        
  Award
        Organizational Efficiency and Early Disposition Programs in Federal Courts
    
  
  
Date Published: December 1, 2013
    
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Related Datasets
        
                      http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR34419.v1
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