Day Reporting Centers

History

DRCs were first developed in Great Britain in the 1970s. British DRCs were intended to serve nonviolent, chronic offenders. The theory behind the creation of British DRCs was that these low-level chronic offenders, who were often substance abusers and had mental health problems, did not pose a threat to public safety. Rather, they committed petty crimes to support addictions or because they simply lacked the basic life skills necessary to function in a law-abiding manner. Prior to the creation of DRCs, these offenders were subject to incarceration at a significant cost to the government. Probation officials persuaded the government to establish the DRCs to address the needs of these offenders in a community setting rather than sentencing them to periods of confinement in an effort to reduce costs and recidivism.

The British experience contributed to the establishment of DRCs in the United States in the 1970s.

These first American DRCs were used for juvenile offenders and the mentally ill, who returned to the community during the process of deinstitutionalization that was occurring during that period. DRCs were used for juvenile offenders as part of an effort to reduce the unnecessary incarceration of juveniles and its deleterious effects, while fostering the rehabilitative ideal. DRCs were also helpful in assisting and managing the mentally ill in the community. In the mid-1980s, officials in both Connecticut and Massachusetts developed DRCs for adult offenders. Growth was slow until the 1990s, when the number of DRCs significantly increased.

It is often argued that the rapid growth of DRCs, along with other intermediate sanctions and alternatives to incarceration, is attributable to skyrocketing prison populations and overcrowding in jails in the 1990s. Politicians and government officials turned to DRCs as a mechanism to manage offenders in the community in efforts to reduce the size of incarcerated populations and the attendant costs of incarceration.

Eligibility

Eligibility for DRCs varies substantially. DRCs vary by age-group, sex, criminal justice system status, and criminal history eligibility criteria. Some DRCs serve juvenile offenders, some serve adult offenders, and others serve both populations. DRCs that serve both juveniles and adults locate the groups either in separate areas of the same building or at separate locations. DRCs usually separate offenders by sex. Some DRCs that serve both males and females will [Page 106]assign them to coeducational groups, but many separate males and females and assign them to same-sex groups. Still other DRCs exclusively treat one sex. There is some evidence to support the separation of offenders by sex, as they may have different risks and needs and, therefore, require different treatment styles and management techniques.

DRCs also target individuals from different parts of the criminal justice system. DRCs may serve individuals in the pretrial phase, as well as those who have been convicted of an offense and who are on probation or parole. Individuals who are in the pre-trial phase of the criminal case process have not been convicted of the current charges. Instead, judges use DRCs to engage and manage defendants in efforts to reduce failures to appear at court proceedings. Defendants participating in DRCs during the pretrial phase are often participating in some sort of treatment or service, such as drug treatment, designed to increase the likelihood of attendance at court proceedings.

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