Pretrial Justice Working Group: Findings From Four Pretrial Studies

Session Submission Type: Complete Thematic Panel

Abstract/Description

Pretrial and bail reform efforts are surging nationwide. Many states and counties are changing their laws and practices in response to a groundswell of successful class-action litigation and grassroots pressure challenging the basic fairness, effectiveness, and constitutionality of existing pretrial processes and money bail procedures. However, relative to other areas (e.g., policing, sentencing, corrections), surprisingly little research exists on bail, jails, and the broader pretrial stage. The Pretrial Justice Working Group aims to provide a forum for sharing pretrial research, and to facilitate collaboration and networking. This panel will present the findings from four studies focusing on issues related to pretrial justice. Those issues include an evaluation of a pretrial reform effort, the impact of poverty on the pretrial process, an evaluation of pretrial non-compliance, and the imposition of pretrial special conditions on released federal defendants.

Sub Unit

• Area VI. The Criminal Justice System / 45. Jails & Prisons

Individual Presentations

• Implementing and Evaluating Pretrial Reform - Jennifer Copp, Florida State University; Kristina Henson, Palm Beach County: Criminal Justice Commission; William Casey, Florida State University; Damir Kukec, Palm Beach County: Criminal Justice Commission; George Pesta, Florida State University; Thomas G. Blomberg, Florida State University

• Poverty and Pretrial Justice: An analysis of pretrial administrative data from one jurisdiction - Catherine S. Kimbrell, George Mason University; David B. Wilson, George Mason University

• The Trajectory of Pretrial Non-compliance in Relation to Detention Length and Financial Bail - Victoria Terranova, University of Northern Colorado; Jessie Slepicka, University of Northern Colorado; Kyle Ward, University of Northern Colorado

• The imposition of pretrial special conditions on released federal defendants - Thomas H. Cohen, Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts

Chair

• Catherine S. Kimbrell, George Mason University