Reach
Since the establishment of the CJCC in 2015, numerous milestones have been reached. The following highlights some of the most significant impacts, representing both broader efforts and ongoing work:
Creation of a single local criminal justice database with the ability to share information across stakeholders and the community. Key indicators include jail population information, including most frequent charges, gender, age, race, and average length of stay.
Public Defender representation in Centralized Bond Court to ensure defendants with limited resources have access to an attorney at the first court hearing – the first time this resource is offered in South Carolina State Courts.
Inter-agency conferencing with system actors to connect individuals with community resources to address underlying reasons for frequent incarceration.
Supported faster case assignment and discovery transfer through technology upgrades.
Collaboration to reopen the Tri-County Crisis Stabilization Center (TCSC) - an option for diversion from jail for individuals living with mental illness and substance use disorders.
Validation of a pretrial risk tool to provide a consistent, objective, and reliable way for Bond Court Judges to assess a defendant’s risk of pretrial failure - defined as missing court or rearrest for new criminal activity.
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Implementation of weekly jail population reviews (JPR) for use by the Courts, Solicitor, Public Defender, and other system actors.
