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This study evaluated the Early Case Resolution Court pilot in a Western State. The Early Case Resolution (ECR) courts seek to speed up criminal case processing with the goal of having the majority of cases resolved in less than 30 days. This study evaluated the court on four main outcomes.
Stakeholder perceptions about ECR court.
Case processing timelines including time to resolution and number of court hearings
Behavioral health outcomes including referrals to mental health and substance abuse assessment and treatment and referrals to drug and mental health courts.
Criminal justice outcomes including two-year criminal recidivism, probation status, severity of dispositions.
Methods
The study was a mixed-method quasi-experimental design. Quantitative analysis of state BCI data, jail, and court data was used for criminal justice outcomes. Behavioral health data was used to assess assessment and treatment outcomes and surveys were used to assess stakeholder (judges, prosecutors, defense counsel, probation officers, and court personnel). The study compared the ECR groups to two comparison groups for analysis, a historical pre-ECR sample and a risk-matched non-ECR group.
Results
The study sample was N =2588 and found significant differences in all main three quantitative outcomes for cases processed through the ECR court. Case processing speed in ECR court and average number of hearings was dramatically reduced in ECR court from an average of seven hearings to three, and cases were processed much more quickly from an average of 176 days to 38 days for ECR cases. Behavioral health outcomes were also significant with ECR cases receiving fewer referrals to assessment and treatment and specialty courts like drug court and mental health court. The analysis of criminal justice outcomes reveals that ECR cases were more likely to have negative criminal justice outcomes including higher recidivism, faster recidivism (as determined by survival curve analysis), and more likely to be terminated unsuccessfully from probation.
Implications for practice or policy
This is the first study to look at behavioral health and criminal justice outcomes in the growing area of Early Case Resolution Courts. The study highlights the needs for better assessment of offenders and the integration of social workers in the criminal justice system. As a result of the study the courts discontinued the ECR court and is reviewing alternate courts that will retain the case-processing gains while reducing recidivism and increasing treatment resources. Finally, the study emphasizes the need for smart sentencing based on the risk and need of the offender, rather than on the characteristics of the index offense.