Assessing the Effect of Pretrial Supervision on Pretrial Outcomes in Virginia

• In Event: Pretrial Supervision

Abstract

There has been growing interest in utilizing pretrial supervision and validated pretrial risk assessment. Despite this, due to the unavailability of the comprehensive statewide pretrial data, there is still limited empirical evidence on the effectiveness of pretrial supervision on various pretrial outcomes, such as court appearance and new criminal arrest during the pretrial period. By using the most recent Virginia Pretrial Data, this study employs advanced statistical techniques (e.g., propensity score matching) to examine the causal effects of pretrial supervision on pretrial outcomes. In addition, the study also examines various effects of pretrial supervision by investigating individuals at various risk-levels. The findings from this research are expected to inform researchers, policy makers, and practitioners of various implications of pretrial service supervision in Virginia and provide insights into the current implementation of pretrial supervision.

Authors

• Chang Beum Kwon, Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission

• Catherine Chen, Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission