The purpose of this study was to provide a comprehensive,
case-level examination of the full spectrum of case processing of
serious child abuse and neglect cases as they flowed through the
justice process, from initial receipt of a report to final disposition
in the criminal and/or civil court. This was accomplished by in-depth,
detailed tracking, from a single jurisdiction, of both prospective and
retrospective samples of serious child abuse cases reported to child
protective services and law enforcement agencies. The four agencies
that participated directly by providing case samples and case files
for tracking were: (1) Child Protective Services (CPS), (2) the
sheriff's office, (3) Dependency Court Legal Services (DCLS), and (4)
the county prosecutor's office. Each case was abstracted at the point
of sampling and then tracked throughout the other participating
agencies. Data were collected over a nine-month period. Part 1,
Maltreatment Abstract, Person Roster, and CPS Abstract Data, contains
three types of data. First, information is provided on each
maltreatment incident committed by each perpetrator, background of the
perpetrator and the victim, and characteristics of the incident. The
data continue with a roster of persons, which covers the relationships
among the individuals in the case and whether any of these individuals
were living together at the time of the maltreatment. Data from the
CPS abstract include which source brought the case to the attention of
Protective Services, the dates, priority, and investigation level of
the report, if any prior allegations of maltreatment had occurred that
involved either the same victims and/or perpetrators and, if so,
information on those reports, and the perpetrator's response to the
incident and level of cooperation with the investigation. For each
victim, information is given on medical findings, if applicable,
whether photographs were taken, whether a guardian was appointed,
whether the victim was assigned an interim placement, and the CPS
disposition of the case. Part 1 concludes with information on
interviews with the victim, where the case was referred, the
assessment of risk in the case, and whether the victim was placed in
foster care. Part 2, Dependency Court Abstract Data, provides
information on the case, the reason the case was closed, and the
outcome as determined by the court. Part 3, Juvenile Court Schedule of
Hearings Data, focuses on the schedule of hearings, such as who was
present and if they were represented by an attorney, whether the
hearing took place, and, if not, the reason for delay. Part 4, Law
Enforcement Abstract Data, contains dates of incidents, reports, and
arrests, details of the case, and how the case was handled. Part 5,
State Attorney's Office Abstract Data, offers data on the case
closing, charges, and sentencing, as well as information on the type
of defense attorney representing the perpetrator, if a juvenile, how
the defendant was referred to adult court, whether the state attorney
filed cases on other perpetrators in the case, whether the victim was
interviewed by the prosecutor prior to filing, and whether the victim
was deposed by the state attorney after the case was filed. Part 6,
Criminal Court Schedule of Hearings Data, contains information on date
of arrest, filing, and court hearing, whether a public defender was
assigned, number of hearings, type of hearing, and coded remarks about
the hearing. Part 7, State Attorney Addendum Data, provides
"no-file" data from the State Attorney Questionnaire Addendum,
including if the no-file was a warrant or arrest, date of the no-file,
and reason for the no-file.