The Charleston County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC) has released its 2023 Annual Report. This publication provides an overview of Charleston County’s justice system, to include local functions such as jail use, trends in arrest, diversion and deflection efforts, bond and reentry practices, and case processing. This expansive review integrated data from 17 independent local sources, providing the ability to monitor trends over multiple years. The CJCC Annual Report is published yearly to provide relevant information to stakeholders while supporting efforts of data transparency.
"This year’s Annual Report continues to reflect the CJCC’s ongoing efforts to present information that is both critical and digestible to our Charleston community. I encourage our community to familiarize themselves with this information and evaluate their own personal ability to partner with our membership to help make evidence-based improvements to our system," stated Ellen S. Steinberg, JD, CJCC Director.
Some noteworthy findings include:
- For the third year in a row, the most frequently booked charge into our local jail was Unlawful Carrying of a Firearm
- The number of individuals with pending charges increased by 5.6% (7,560 in 2022 to 7,985 in 2023)
- The average length of stay in the jail while awaiting trial is 30 days
- The highest percentage of jail admissions occurred on Sunday and Monday (19% each day)
- The local jail population continues to be predominately represented by African American Males between the ages of 25 and 34
- Of the 4,108 Centralized Bond Court cases in 2023, 32% received a personal recognizance bond (no money required for release while awaiting court) and 68% received a financially driven bond (money required for release while awaiting court).
“The Annual Report not only highlights how far we have come regarding data reporting, but also identifies areas where there is opportunity for further improvement. The ability to use local data and continuing to work alongside our engaged partners are essential to continuous improvement,” stated Ashley Pennington, CJCC Community Representative, Burnette Shutt McDaniel attorney.
The full report is found at cjcc.charlestoncounty.org.
