Montgomery County Confinement Study

This study entailed a holistic evaluation of criminal justice and corrections practices within a nationally recognized best practice county who wanted to answer the question, “Can we do even better?”

Through empirical research, data analysis, interviews, and focus groups including all criminal justice agency representatives, CGL identified gaps along the criminal justice continuum and recommended specific enhancements to the County’s already impressive continuum of pre-trial, correctional, and pre-release services.  In line with the County’s philosophy of least restrictive correctional response and emphasis on reducing recidivism, the study culminated in two core recommendations:

• Expand residential jail alternatives for the mental health population

• Create a Day Reporting Center as a non-jail alternative to probation violators and a post release community based option

These recommendations were evaluated for their impact on secure bedspace requirements.   The analysis also identified the target population, eligibility criteria, and plan of approach for implementation.