NCJ Number
172469
Journal
American Jails Volume: 11 Issue: 6 Dated: (January/February 1998) Pages: 8-10,12,14
Date Published
1998
Length
5 pages
Annotation
Pretrial services are discussed with respect to their origins, the principles that have guided and constrained their development to date, their increasing complexity, and principles that practitioners should use.
Abstract
Pretrial services arose from concerns about the effects of the money bail system on people with low incomes and led to the development of the Manhattan Bail Project in New York City in 1961. This project helped shape the Bail Reform Act of the mid-1960s. Pretrial services are not part of the criminal case disposition process, especially in the larger jurisdictions. Almost all pretrial programs collect information to help the court determine whether and how to release a defendant arraigned on criminal charges. Programs vary greatly in their functions and procedures. The operation of the nonprofit Criminal Justice Agency in New York City illustrates how and why pretrial programs may differ appreciably from one locality to another. The roles of these programs have expanded and become more complex over the years. The National Association of Pretrial Services provides standards to guide progress in performing these roles, as well as workshops to assist practitioners. Practitioners should follow four basic principles in determining what justice requires in managing the demands of their role.