U.S. Department of Justice

Pretrial

Pretrial Services programs provide crucial information to judicial officers to assist with the bail decisions and to provide supervision and services to pretrial defendants that will promote public safety and court appearance.

The role of a high functioning pretrial agency can have many positive impacts on local justice systems. By identifying risk factors through validated risk instruments and providing release options and strategies to manage the defendant’s risk pending trial, judicial officers can make informed decisions that balance the Constitutional presumption of innocence while providing protections for the community.


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Recommended Reading

Date Title Type
2011 NIC Publication
This guide “presents a protocol designed to produce high-quality technical assistance for the front end of the criminal justice system—the pretrial justice stage” (p. iii). Sections contained in this publication are: basic obligations of a technical... Read More
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2011 NIC Publication
“This monograph presents recommended outcome and performance measures and mission-critical data … [that] will enable pretrial service agencies to gauge more accurately their programs’ effectiveness in meeting agency and justice system goals” (p. v). ... Read More
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2010 NIC Publication
This report is essential reading for individuals wanting to achieve "measurable reductions of pretrial misconduct and post-conviction reoffending" (p.6). Eight sections follow an introduction (a new paradigm for the justice system): underlying premis... Read More
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2010
The validity of the Kentucky Pretrial Service Agency (KPSA) risk assessment instrument is determined. Other pretrial agencies can compare their risk assessment instruments to this evaluation to see where they stand. Sections of this report are: intro... Read More
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2007 NIC Publication
"[C]ritical legal principles applicable to defendants during the pretrial stage" are covered (p.3). Sections of this paper are: introduction and background; pretrial legal foundation -- presumption of innocence, right to counsel, right against self-... Read More
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2011
“The Roadmap is a guide for the sustainable implementation and replication of evidence-based practices in pretrial and local probation agencies across the state ... [it] offers valuable insights into lessons learned during implementation and provides... Read More
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Related Resources

Date Title Type
1988 NIC Publication
"After discussing some important concepts and issues and briefly looking at legal developments since the 1960s, this monograph reviews research on opportunity for pretrial release and the risks involved. It then explores the effectiveness of various ... Read More
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2004 NIC Publication
Effective procedures governing the release or detention of arrested individuals are presented. Thirty-four standards and related commentary are organized into the following four parts: general principles governing the pretrial process; nature of fir... Read More
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2006 NIC Publication
An assessment of Maine's pretrial case processing system is provided. This report contains the following sections: introduction; Maine's criminal justice system for pretrial case processing; key system participants (e.g., law enforcement, county jai... Read More
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2007 NIC Publication
This two-hour program discusses strategies for developing an effective pretrial process (e.g., arrest, interview, risk assessment and recommendation, first appearance, post release supervision, and collaboration between shareholders—agencies, organiz... Read More
2008 NIC Publication
Articles in this issue include:
  • “Foreword” by Ken Rose
  • “A Framework for Implementing Evidence-Based Practices in Pretrial Services” by John Clark
  • “Advancing Evidence-Based Practices in the Pretrial Field” by Katie Green, Pat Smit... Read More
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2008 NIC Publication
"This article presents a possible framework for developing research geared toward identifying evidence-based practices in pretrial services" (p. 4). Sections of this article are: limited pretrial research exists to support evidence-based practices; ... Read More
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2008 NIC Publication
The use of evidence-based practices in Virginia's pretrial system is discussed. This article has these sections:
  • Background;
  • Making a difference;
  • And the three most applicable principles of effective interventions.
... Read More
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2008 NIC Publication
The Colorado Improving Supervised Pretrial Release (CISPR) Project, an innovative pretrial initiative, is described. This article contains these sections; introduction; aims of the CISPR Project; and CISPR phases -- develop statistically validated p... Read More
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2008 NIC Publication
The use of the Step Forward program offered by the Oakland County Community Corrections Division (OCCCD) is explained. This article covers: programmatic approach -- intake assessments, case planning, services and interventions, case management, and ... Read More
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2008 NIC Publication
Pretrial rearrest among New York domestic violence (DV) defendants is examined. Sections contained in this article are: background; identifying DV and non-DV cases; offense patterns of DV and non-DV defendants; and conclusions. Since 9% of DV defend... Read More
PDF
2008
The granting of pretrial release to Latino defendants is examined. The following sections are contained in this report: abstract; executive summary; introduction; the intra-judicial roots of pretrial release research -- a brief review, a critique, a... Read More
PDF
2007 NIC Publication
"[C]ritical legal principles applicable to defendants during the pretrial stage" are covered (p.3). Sections of this paper are: introduction and background; pretrial legal foundation -- presumption of innocence, right to counsel, right against self-... Read More
PDF
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