What Is Compliance? Defining Program Requirements in Pretrial Supervised Release

• In Event: Issues in Pretrial Supervision

Abstract

New York City’s pretrial Supervised Release program provides an alternative to bail that keeps defendants in the community as they await trial. The program requires regular check-ins with case managers from local non-profits, who are responsible for updating the court on compliance. Determining compliance requires a nuanced approach. To make informed decisions, judges need to be aware of participants’ compliance without being overwhelmed with extraneous information. Service providers seek to be transparent with the courts within the scope of a non-carceral alternative to bail. In this session, researchers from the Center for Justice Innovation will discuss the challenges and solutions to reporting program compliance to the court based on experience working with judges, the mayor’s office, and program staff as a Supervised Release provider in two New York City counties.

Authors

• Camille Wada, Center for Justice Innovation

• Bernie Langer, The Center for Justice Innovation