Other Program Functions
Pretrial services programs provide additional services to support defendants and the community, including ensuring regular review of the status of detained defendants.
Survey of Pretrial Programs Series: Other Programs
The 2008 survey results show that pretrial programs provide additional services to their jurisdictions. Of the services covered in the survey, 38 percent provide diversion services, 23 percent screen defendants to determine eligibility for assigned counsel, 5 percent determine the appropriate level of jail security for the defendant, and only 3 percent report providing mediation services.
Review of Status of Detained Defendants
The ABA standards state that “[t]he status of detained defendants should be monitored and their eligibility for release should be reviewed throughout the adjudication period” (Standard 10-1.6). NAPSA standards state that if a defendant cannot meet financial conditions, “the court can inquire more fully into the defendant’s financial circumstances and lower the bail amount required in order to enable the defendant’s release…the fact of continuing detention should be brought to the court’s attention promptly (within [24 hours] under this Standard), so that the problem can be addressed.” (Commentary to Standard 4.1 (b).
To fill this critical need, more pretrial programs are conducting bail reviews for defendants who are unable to post the bail set by the court. The 2008 survey found that 44 percent of pretrial programs conduct reviews, up from 21 percent reported in 2001 and 18 percent in 1989.
The 2008 survey provided an opportunity for pretrial programs to share additional program functions that were not covered in the survey. According to these responses, pretrial programs also:
- Provide reminder contacts to all defendants released by the magistrate of pending court dates.
- Provide interpreter services to the court.
- Notify local schools of student arrests.
- Provide support for program serving persons with co-occurring disorders.
- Provide defendants with job search training.
- Teach “Thinking for a Change” to sentenced felony male offenders.
- Provide criminal history records for the official court files, civil name change requests, and for misdemeanor cases, expungement requests.
- Notify the District Attorney if a defendant wants to wave extradition.
- Conduct DNA Collection.
- Test for HIV/STD.
- Participate in local Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and act as an advisor on performance measure data for specialty courts.
- Participant in local continuity of operations planning.