Charleston Co. Criminal Justice Coordinating Council releases 2022 annual report

NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - The Charleston County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council has released its 2022 Annual Report where it states that there was a decline in local jail use over the past decade but there is an active post-pandemic increase in number of local bookings.

The council is collaborative of criminal justice system leaders and community representatives that normally studies trends, identifies common challenges and implement strategies to address them.

Since 2014 there has been a decline in local jail use but there was an active post-pandemic increase in the number of bookings, individuals and charges since 2021, according to the report.

In 2022, firearm possession violations were the most frequently booked charge for a second year, the report states.

It says The Tri-County Crisis Stabilization Center showed increased activity for the second year.

Pretrial Service Reports were conducted on a consistent basis to provide the Bond Court judges with “consistent, objective and readily available information,” the report states.

The council says public defenders continued to represent defendants who had less than $500 cash when arrested at their first bond court hearing.

The report also notes that Charleston County is the only county in South Carolina where public defenders are available for the first bond court hearings and Pretrial Service Reports are routine.

For pretrial releases 37% returned to jail on a new arrest and most rearrests happen within six months of the release, the report states.

The number of individuals with pending charges increased from 7,347 in October, November and December of 2021 to 7,560 in 2022, the council says.

The report states the rate of charges closed to charges filed surpassed 100% for the first time since 2017.

“Having access to local data is a game changer. We use this data to monitor the criminal justice system from many different angles. It guides our focus and strategies going forward”, CJCC co-vice chair and legal coordinator at One80 Place Lea Ann Adkins says.

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