| Abstract: | Criteria which are commonly employed in the assessment of the bail risk (failure to appear) are examined. based on samples of defendants released in Philadelphia, Delaware. and Delaware County, Pennsylvania. The original release on recognizance criteria offered by the Manhattan Bail Project is contrasted with a factor analytical model of bail risk produced through the present study. Counter to the original construct, community ties are reflected in two separate factors rather than one. Findings suggest a reassessment of the meaning of community ties with respect to bail risk. In contrast to the original interpretation, basedprincipally on length of time in a community and contacts with friends and relatives, successful performance of adult male roles in the community reflected by marriage and its associated responsibilities appears to be more important in assessing bail risk. The community ties factor, however, may be a byproduct of differential local community social structure and process. |
