Spending any time in jail—even just a few hours or days—can have lasting impacts on someone’s life. It can result in the loss of a job, housing, or even custody of one’s children. People who are detained in jail are more likely to be convicted and sentenced to incarceration than similar people who are released quickly. They are also more likely to be arrested in the future.
Custodial arrest should be used selectively and only when it is statutorily required or necessary to protect the community or an individual victim’s well-being and safety. An alternative is to use citations or summonses. These are “orders to appear” in court on a particular day and time. They can be issued in the field without taking someone to jail when a person is suspected of a crime.
Many jurisdictions find that citations and summonses are safe and efficient ways to handle lower-level violations of the law. Staying out of jail helps a person keep their job and housing, maintain family ties, and be a contributing member of the community.
Because most calls to the police are for minor offenses and neighborhood nuisance issues, using citations and summonses keeps officers in the community instead of transporting people to jail. This can improve the effectiveness of law enforcement.
To encourage consistent and equitable use of citations and summonses, law enforcement agencies should:
Stories and resources on using citations and summonses:
