Organizational Efficiency and Early Disposition Programs in Federal Courts

This grant is funded under NIJ's Data Resources Program, which supports secondary analysis using National Archive of Criminal Justice Data; the FY2010 solicitation prioritized research on sentencing and other Federal criminal case processing. This project examines the impact of fast-track programs on effectiveness and efficiency in Federal court processing of immigration-related cases. Outcomes including disposition time, conviction rates, and guilty plea disposition rates will be compared: (a) among districts that have/not implemented fast-track programs, and (b) before and after districts implemented fast-track programs. Data resources include: Federal Judicial Center's Federal Court Management Statistics district-level data, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts cases terminated, and U.S. Sentencing Commission cases sentenced. Work products include a roundtable meeting of researchers and practitioners, and reports and data analysis documentation that will further adjudication research, policy and practice.ca/ncf