Bringing criminal cases to a timely resolution supports public safety, justice for the community, fairness to defendants, and certainty for victims. But in many jurisdictions, cases can take months or years to resolve, directly contributing to jail overcrowding as defendants remain in pretrial detention for extended periods. Court backlogs arising during the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the challenges to speedy resolutions of criminal proceedings. This session shares insights from Clark County, Nevada, and Harris County, Texas, on how localities can improve case processing so delays in court processes are not drivers of jail incarceration and do not leave people waiting for justice.  

Speakers 

• Hon. Melisa De La Garza, Chief Judge, Las Vegas Justice Court
• Jesse Jannetta, Senior Fellow, Justice and Safety Division, Urban Institute
• Linsey LaMontagne, Director, Clark County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
• Hon. Diana L. Sullivan, Judge, Las Vegas Township Justice Court
• Ed Wells, Court Manager, Harris County Courts 

Local Lessons on Rethinking Jail Use 

There are nearly 8 million admissions to local jails annually in the United States. Jails have received little attention until recently, despite touching so many lives, consuming significant fiscal resources, and bearing the brunt of public safety and disorder challenges. Launched in 2015, the Safety and Justice Challenge (SJC) sought to change the way America thinks about and uses jails. More than 50 local criminal justice systems nationwide became part of the SJC network and innovated to reduce jail incarceration in ways that improve public safety, address disparities, promote stronger and healthier communities, and reduce the financial costs associated with incarceration. 

Local Lessons on Rethinking Jail Use is a webinar series organized by the Urban Institute that will share practical lessons from this work to assist decisionmakers in right-sizing their local use of jails to best support public safety, make judicious use of limited resources, and support community well-being. A close-up of a logo AI-generated content may be incorrect. We strive to host inclusive, accessible events that enable all individuals to engage fully. 

Please email  [email protected] if you require any accommodations or have any questions about this event. 

Support for this event is provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation as part of the Safety and Justice Challenge, which seeks to safely reduce over-incarceration by changing the way America thinks about and uses jails. For more on Urban’s funding policies, go to urban.org/about/organizational-principles.