NCJ Number
87522
Date Published
1981
Length
99 pages
Annotation
Because of the favorable observations of judges, magistrates, and others, and the overall favorable statistical results, it is recommended that the 10 demonstration pretrial services agencies be permanently established and that such agencies be expanded to all Federal districts.
Abstract
The extent to which reductions in detention, crime while on bail, and failures to appear are attributable to the impact of Title 1 of the Speedy Trial Act in compressing the period from arrest to trial cannot now be fully measured. The Federal Judicial Center report cautions that these declines may be attributable to other factors. Further, the differences in organizational structure between the two types of agencies -- those under independent boards of trustees and those under probation departments -- cannot be definitively said to favor one over the other. Still, those judges, judicial officers, and lawyers who have participated in and observed the operations of the 10 pretrial services agencies believe that they have improved the operation of the Bail Reform Act and enabled judicial officers to make more informed decisions on bail by using the verified factual information and the recommendations of pretrial services officers. In addition to the recommendation that statutory authority be given to expand pretrial services agencies to all Federal districts, it is recommended that the district courts be authorized to appoint pretrial services officers under standards to be prescribed by the Judicial Conference and that the Judicial Conference authorize which district courts should have pretrial services units. These units would be independent of the probation service, except in those districts in which the caseload would not warrant a separate unit. Tabular and graphic data on the pretrial services agencies are provided. (Author summary modified)