Objectives of pretrial drug testing programs are to maximize the number of identified drug users released to pretrial supervision by offering courts valid alternatives to detention or unsupervised release, to reduce the level of drug use by monitoring defendants, and to separate defendants in need of drug treatment from those who can control drug use through monitoring alone. Pretrial drug testing programs must assess the risk of defendants failing to appear in court or presenting a danger to the community if released, and this assessment involves gathering information about each defendant and then extrapolating risk factors from that information. Drug testing as part of a supervised pretrial release program is frequently referred to as pretrial drug monitoring and typically involves requiring defendants to submit urine specimens on a periodic basis. In addition to urinalysis, technology is now available to test perspiration specimens collected using a sweat patch. Operational issues in the chain of custody for urine specimens are listed, and information is provided on testing procedures and costs, confidentiality, and management issues. A table illustrates testing approaches used at the local, State, and Federal levels.