Since their inception in the 1960s, pretrial services programs have been
providing bail-setting judicial officers with information and options for the
release or detention of persons accused of criminal offenses. Over the ensuing
four decades, hundreds of pretrial programs have been established in rural,
suburban, and urban jurisdictions. These programs are housed in a variety of
settings, including probation departments, court offices, local jails, and as
independent or private agencies.
This document was prepared by the Pretrial Services Resource Center, under grant number
2001–DD–BX–0037, awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs,
U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations
expressed in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the
official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice.
The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of
Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics,
the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice
and Delinquency Prevention, and the Office for Victims of Crime.
Since their inception in the 1960s, pretrial services programs have been
providing bail-setting judicial officers with information and options for the
release or detention of persons accused of criminal offenses. Over the ensuing
four decades, hundreds of pretrial programs have been established in rural,
suburban, and urban jurisdictions. These programs are housed in a variety of
settings, including probation departments, court offices, local jails, and as
independent or private agencies.
