Transforming research into results
We’ve developed a program that innovates the decision-making process for arrests. Charges can be dropped for many reasons, one reason is that the arrest didn’t meet the lawful requirements. However, before those arrests are dropped, people can spend days or weeks in jail. Our study found up to 40% of arrests are dropped by prosecutors in court for not meeting the facts of the law, which wastes up to $6 million county dollars every year (Ormachea et al, 2020).
Improving the fairness and efficacy of the criminal justice system
With SciLaw’s Intake program, whether someone is arrested or not is a matter of the facts and the law. Before every arrest is booked, the officer calls a prosecutor who decides if the arrest meets legal standards. Typically, this is a 2-3 minute call about the facts, which may, or may not lead to an arrest. The prosecutor does not know the age, gender, or race of the person in question. If the facts support the charge, only then is the arrest authorized and the person is brought to jail. Our Intake program is modeled after a proven system that’s been quietly in practice nearly 50 years resulting in a near zero rate of No-Action (dropped) cases. Help us bring this game-changing process to prosecutors in your county.
This program could be the biggest game changer in criminal justice.