Citations in Lieu of Arrests 1

The Association Between Misdemeanor Citation and Jail Placement

“…Empirical research examining the impact of pretrial reform policies involving citation changes is scarce, but evidence suggests that the benefits outweigh the costs even without consideration of the downstream effects on courtroom case processing (Vaske, 2020). A recent review of the practice and relevant literature by Fradella and Purdon (2021:126) concludes quite simply that “States should expand their utilization of citations in lieu of arrest.” Citations are used by the majority of law enforcement agencies in the United States (IACP, 2016), but with limitations on offense eligibility and a status quo that strongly favors arrest, there is still ample room to increase their usage.…”

“…At the local level, law enforcement agencies can curb officer discretion by establishing clear policies for citation issuance (IACP, 2016), but effective training and consistent oversight are also necessary to minimize bias in officer decision-making. The implementation of notification systems that remind defendants of their court dates can also help to increase court appearance rates, which may disproportionately affect people of color by helping them avoid being perceived as “flight risks” in subsequent law enforcement interactions (Fradella & Purdon, 2021). At the state level, laws may be reformed to create a presumption of citation rather than arrest for low-level offenses, establish conditions for mandatory citations, and compel greater justification for arrests (Cadoff et al, 2023).…”

“…For individuals charged, the citation can help prevent the deleterious effects of an arrest on employment, income, and family care, among others (Harmon, 2016). For law enforcement departments, the citation may require additional technology such as portable fingerprint scanners, but it offers an opportunity to avoid the time and other resources required to transport individuals to a police station, book them, and then detain them until they can post bail or appear in court (Fradella & Purdon, 2021). For example, a study in Gwinnett County, GA, found that citations averaged 92 fewer minutes of processing time than arrests (Davis, 2005), and a cost analysis in Charlotte, NC, estimated that a minimum of $100.96 is saved in officer hours and intake operational costs by each misdemeanor citation (Hirschel & Dean, 1995).…”

“…However, the impact of this practice remains in question. Citations can reduce initial jail bookings by creating an initial presumption of nonfinancial release, but they may also mitigate other meaningful disadvantages of arrests during case processing and sentencing (Fradella & Purdon, 2021).…”

Catch and release: Testing the effect of a citation release policy on crime in Washington, DC

“…Comparatively, field citation court appearance rates are lower than stationhouse release, the form of citation release in DC (Berger, 1972;Feeney, 1982). Fradella and Purdon (2021) note the paucity of information on the impact of field citations on offending. Two recent evaluations have looked at the effect of citations in lieu of arrest on misdemeanor reoffending rates.…”