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The Dane County Criminal Justice Council (CJC) has been selected by Advancing Pretrial Policy and Research (APPR) to receive targeted training and technical assistance on pretrial justice initiatives.

APPR is a national pretrial initiative that provides resources, training, and assistance to the field. This assistance will provide Dane County with expert support to ensure fidelity in the use of the Public Safety Assessment (PSA) and to expand community outreach. In addition, by expanding this assistance to review pretrial performance measures, Dane County CJC will continue to be a leader in the State of Wisconsin in pretrial practice.

“Dane County’s commitment to evidence-based practices and continuously improving its pretrial system makes it a model for jurisdictions in the state and nationwide,” said Dr. Kelvin Banks, Senior Manager at the nonprofit Center for Effective Public Policy, which leads the APPR initiative. “Effective and comprehensive pretrial improvements—like those being studied by Dane County—help improve decision making and ensure community well-being is strengthened.”

Beginning in 2014, Dane County committed to improving pretrial policies and practices. This includes using evidence-based decision-making, a deliberate, common-sense approach that uses data and research-supported principles to improve pretrial outcomes.

The PSA was implemented in the county in 2017. It is an actuarial pretrial assessment tool that brings research-based information about a person’s likelihood of success while on pretrial release. National data show the vast majority of people are successful in pretrial, meaning they attend their court hearings and remain arrest-free. Information from the PSA, along with other relevant information, helps decision-makers make more informed and deliberate decisions about release conditions that support pretrial success. APPR’s technical assistance will help the county update PSA policies and practices to reflect the latest research and evaluation on the effective and fair use of the PSA.

“As the Nation and the State discuss pretrial processes and bail reform, Dane County has been consistently working on improving our systems with real data and evidence based decisions,” noted Criminal Justice Council-Pretrial Subcommittee Chair Judge Nicholas McNamara. “We look forward to this partnership with APPR and our greater community to create the best pretrial process possible.”

The CJC has also requested APPR to join them in hosting a community conversation that will provide both a public forum to discuss innovations in pretrial justice practices and to update the community on current initiatives in Dane County. More information on this community conversation will be forthcoming.

“This is a great opportunity, at a great time in Dane County,” said Criminal Justice Council Chair Clerk of Courts Carlo Esqueda. “As we are preparing to launch a new stand-alone Office of Pretrial Services, the work we complete with APPR will help transform an already great program into an exceptional one.”

APPR will be providing technical assistance for approximately six months, with updates given to the Criminal Justice Council as appropriate.

What is pretrial?

The pretrial phase starts when a person is charged with an offense and lasts until the case is resolved. In the United States, during this phase, a person is presumed innocent and has due process rights. The U.S. Supreme Court requires that liberty must be the norm and detention the carefully limited exception during the pretrial phase.

For more information on pretrial services and process improvements in Dane County criminal justice, please visit the Criminal Justice Council website at https://cjc.countyofdane.com.

APPR seeks fair, just, effective pretrial practices nationwide. Implementation and technical assistance activities are led by the nonprofit Center for Effective Public Policy with support from Arnold Ventures. Learn more at http://www.advancingpretrial.org.

The 13 member Dane County Criminal Justice Council is a collaborative body created in Dane County ordinance to collaborate and improve public safety, racial equity and data-driven decisions. For more information visit https://cjc.countyofdane.com.