NCJ Number
228795
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 73 Issue: 2 Dated: September 2009 Pages: 50-55
Date Published
September 2009
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Findings are presented from a study providing a current assessment of the quality of pretrial services administration based on district review reports.
Abstract
Results of the study suggest that planning, local policy development, and enhanced documentation and record keeping are the areas most in need of attention. With regard to the core pretrial services functions of investigation and supervision of Federal defendants, the field would benefit from enhancing the quality of officers' written reports' content and structuring supervision in a dynamic and proactive manner. District review reports are comprehensive reports that identify positive and negative aspects of pretrial services' office functioning. An analysis of this information offers policymakers, administrators, and practitioners with baseline data to assess the quality of pretrial services offices with regard to national standards. This study analyzed 44 district review reports, between 2000 and 2008, in an attempt to gauge the current status of the pretrial services system functions and enhance the level of service pretrial services offices provide to the judiciary, the public, and the Federal criminal defendants. Figure, tables, and references