DOJ's Office of Justice Programs' Pretrial Justice Working Group

In response to Attorney General Eric Holder's call for national pretrial justice reform at the Department of Justice's 2011 National Symposium on Pretrial Justice, the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) convened in October 2011 the first meeting of a standing, multi-disciplinary working group of national leaders in criminal justice. The mission of the Pretrial Justice Working Group (PJWG) is to collaboratively address the challenges in moving from a costly pretrial justice system to one that is safe, fair and effective.

The PJWG has three main objectives:

1. Convene regular meetings of members and invited guests to exchange
   information and views on important pretrial justice topics.
2. Develop and maintain a website to raise awareness, exchange information,
   and invite others to participate in the activities of the working group's subcommittees.
3. Inform evidence-based pretrial justice policymaking.

The PJWG is comprised of three Subcommittees that will assist OJP in implementing the recommendations made in the National Symposium on Pretrial Justice - Summary Report of Proceedings:

Research Subcommittee
Criminal Justice System Subcommittee
Communications Subcommittee

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Research Subcommittee

The Research Subcommittee will advance a research agenda in support of pretrial justice reform. The Subcommittee will identify the current gaps in knowledge, identify the resources and constituencies needed to support an aggressive research agenda and develop a strategy using research to inform policy.

The goals are as follows:

To stimulate detailed pretrial justice data collection at the local, state and federal level;
To stimulate quantitative and qualitative research within the government and academic research communities;
To support existing OJP initiatives focused on county justice systems with evaluations to produce and document evidenced-based practices; and,
To simulate pretrial justice courses in undergraduate and graduate programs and law schools.

The Subcommittee will work in concert with OJP's Science Advisory Board and meet quarterly by webinar. For more information or to join, please contact the Pretrial Justice Institute at pji@pretrial.org.

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Criminal Justice System Subcommittee

The purpose of the Criminal Justice System (CJS) Subcommittee is to advance legal and evidence-based practices among criminal justice system stakeholders. The goals of this subcommittee are:

To engage constituent resources such as national, state and local professional associations to develop appropriate standards of practice and policy positions on pretrial justice;
To stimulate the incorporation of pretrial justice "best practice" in appropriate training and educational venues; and,
To establish fellowship opportunities and a mentoring network for state and local practitioners.

The CJS Subcommittee will be undertake a number of specific initiatives to be developed focused on reaching each system stakeholder group: Prosecutors, Defense Counsel, Judges, Court Administrators, Victims Advocates and Service Providers, Law Enforcement, and Community Corrections. The CJS Subcommittee will meet quarterly by webinar.

One initiative already underway is the development of a strategy for educating judges on the incorporation of risk assessment and pretrial supervision in achieving successful pretrial outcomes.

For more information or to join, please contact the Pretrial Justice Institute at pji@pretrial.org.

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Communications Subcommittee

The purpose of the Communications Subcommittee is to advance pretrial justice policymaking through public discourse, public opinion and media coverage. The goals of this subcommittee are:

To create a media campaign for public education purposes;
To promote pretrial justice "best practice" as an integral element of reform among the growing number of states that are seeking cost-effective means of enhancing public safety while containing costs; and,
To replicate parts of the National Symposium at state and regional levels to inform criminal justice practitioners and policy makers about pretrial justice and pretrial release based on risk.

The Communications Subcommittee will meet quarterly by webinar. For more information or to join, please contact the Pretrial Justice Institute at pji@pretrial.org.

  PJWG CJS Subcommittee Minutes March 2012
  PJWG Communications Subcommittee Minutes March 2012
  PJWG Research Subcommittee Minutes March 2012