Who Get’s What and What do they Get? A State-wide Analysis of Pretrial Services in Virginia

• In Event: Using the Virginia Pretrial Data Project to Address Theoretical, Empirical & Policy Related Issues

Abstract

Pretrial Services (PTS) Agencies have been a prevalent and important part of the criminal justice system of Virginia since they were officially introduced through the Pretrial Services Act (1995). There are currently 35 PTS agencies serving 115 of Virginia’s 133 localities with approximately 23,600 PTS investigations and 22,000 placements on PTS. Both research literature and annual reports from PTS agencies in Virginia suggests relatively high rates of success in terms of rearrest and court appearance while under supervision. A central concern with the research underlying these conclusions is that it often fails to control for selection bias or even consider the process through which individuals are selected for pretrial services. Furthermore, very little research focuses on how various conditions of PTS placement are decided. In the paper, we use data from the Virginia Pre-trial Project to address the following research questions. First, what individual and case characteristics predict placement on PTS? Second, how do the conditions placed on defendants vary across both agencies and types of clients? Finally, does PTS placement and the conditions placed on defendants affect cases outcomes and public safety? Empirical results from these analyses should inform policy and provide insights for better evaluations of PTS.

Authors

• Melanie Holland, Kennesaw State University

• Randy R. Gainey, Old Dominion University