Examining the Impact of Pretrial Reform: Findings, Lessons, and Recommendations

• In Event: Issues Related to Bail and Pretrial Practices

Abstract

In 2014, three sites were selected as demonstration sites for the Smart Pretrial Initiative, a three-year project funded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and managed by the Pretrial Justice Institute. The goal of this initiative was to test the public safety enhancements and cost savings that can be achieved when utilizing a pretrial model that uses a validated risk assessment to inform decision-making coupled with enhanced risk management strategies. As the research partner, JRSA was tasked with providing sites with support as they worked to identify and track key pretrial performance and outcomes. JRSA was also tasked with examining the impact of this initiative on key pretrial outcome measures (e.g., new arrest, failure to appear). This presentation will discuss the common, as well as unique, challenges sites faced in the areas of data availability, coverage, and quality. Findings from the impact analysis and lessons learned will be discussed.

Author

• Erin J Farley, Justice Research and Statistics Association