Pretrial Services Agency 

for the District of Columbia

Congressional Budget Justification

Fiscal Year 2025

March 11, 2024 
i

LEADERSHIP

Executive Management

Leslie C. Cooper, Esq.

Director

Victor Valentine Davis, Esq.

Assistant Director, Defendant Engagement 

and System Support

Karen L. Lellock

Assistant Director, Management and 

Administration

Executive Committee

Hon. Anna Blackburne-Rigsby, Chair

Chief Judge, District of Columbia Court of 

Appeals

Hon. Sri Srinivasan

Chief Judge, United States Court of Appeals 

for the District of Columbia Circuit

Hon. James E. Boasberg

Chief Judge, United States District Court for 

the District of Columbia

Hon. Anita Josey-Herring

Chief Judge, Superior Court for the District of 

Columbia

Hon. Matthew M. Graves, Esq.

United States Attorney for the District of 

Columbia

Heather N. Pinckney, Esq.

Director, Public Defender Service for the 

District of Columbia

Hon. Richard S. Tischner

Director, Court Services and Offender 

Supervision Agency for the District of 

Columbia
ii

CONTENTS

I. Agency Overview..................................................................................................1

II. PSA Organizational Structure..............................................................................4

III. President’s Budget 2025 Request.....................................................................10

President’s Budget 2025 Summary of Change..........................................11

President’s Budget 2025 Summary of Obligations by Object Class.......13

President’s Budget 2025 Summary of FTE by Pay Grade.........................14

IV. PSA Strategic Framework...................................................................................15

V. Program Performance.........................................................................................16

Performance Indicators for Agency Strategic Goals..................................17

Key Agency Accomplishments......................................................................25
1

I. AGENCY OVERVIEW

The mission of the Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia (PSA) is to promote pretrial 

justice and enhance community safety. In fulfilling this mission, PSA assists judicial officers in both 

the Superior Court of the District of Columbia (DC Superior Court) and the United States District 

Court for the District of Columbia (US District Court) by conducting a risk assessment for every 

arrested person who will be presented in court, identifying detention eligibility and formulating 

release recommendations, as appropriate, based upon the arrestee’s demographic information, 

criminal history, drug use and/or mental health information. For defendants who are placed on 

conditional release pending trial, PSA provides supervision and treatment services intended to 

reasonably assure that they return to court and do not engage in criminal activity pending their trial 

and/or sentencing. 

PSA was created by an act of Congress (the District of Columbia Bail Agency Act) in 1967.1 Under the 

National Capital Revitalization and Self-Government Improvement Act of 1997, PSA was established 

as an independent entity within the Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency (CSOSA) in the 

Executive Branch of the Federal Government.2

The District of Columbia (DC or District) operates a bail system that promotes clear and reasoned 

decisions about release or detention. The foundation of this system is the DC bail statute, which 

emphasizes the use of least restrictive release conditions for eligible defendants, provides an option 

of preventive detention for those who pose an unacceptable risk to the community, and limits the 

use of money-based detention. PSA employs evidence-based practices to help judges in the District

of Columbia’s local and federal courts make appropriate and effective bail decisions. PSA’s efforts 

focus on creating a customer-centric culture that meets the needs of the judges, protects the rights 

of defendants, and remains cognizant of the Agency’s responsibility to the DC community. The result 

is enhanced public safety, a fairer and more effective system of release and detention, and judicious 

use of jail resources. 

PSA’s current caseloads include individuals with charges ranging from misdemeanor property 

offenses to homicide. During fiscal year (FY) 2023, PSA served 24,417 arrestees and defendants. The 

Agency supervised 13,770 defendants on pretrial release, which corresponds to an average of 7,337 

defendants on any given day. Most defendants (91 percent) are awaiting trial in DC Superior Court, 

with a smaller number (9 percent) awaiting trial in US District Court. PSA provided services to an 

additional 10,647 arrestees and defendants, which included completing criminal history checks for 

persons who were released on citation or personal recognizance or whose charges were dismissed 

prior to the first appearance in court. Additionally, PSA conducted drug testing for 7,200 nondefendants, bringing the Agency’s total responsibility to just under 31,700 individuals throughout 

the year. 

1 (https://beta.code.dccouncil.us/dc/council/code/titles/23/chapters/13/, n.d.)

2 (https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/house-bill/1963, n.d.)
2

During FY 2023, defendants remained under supervision for an average of 108 days which, although 

declining, is a continuation of the marked increase coinciding with the onset of the COVID-19 

pandemic. Prior to the pandemic, defendants remained under supervision for an average of 94 days. 

This average rose to a high of 214 days during FY 2021. In response to these increases, PSA 

reallocated staff and adjusted operations to minimize the likelihood of defendant rearrest and 

maximize court appearances during FY 2023, this trend has continued to trend downward, but has 

still not reached pre-pandemic levels.

A. A MODEL FOR PRETRIAL JUSTICE

PSA’s drug testing and innovative supervision and treatment strategies are recognized as models 

for the field of pretrial justice. The foundation of PSA’s model approach includes: 

• Providing timely and accurate information to the courts to support informed decisionmaking. 

• Honoring the presumption of innocence and each defendant’s right to pretrial release 

under the least restrictive conditions that assure community safety and return to court. 

• Promoting the use of appropriate graduated sanctions and incentives in response to 

defendant behavior. 

• Using evidence-based solutions and implementing continuous process evaluation to 

improve outcomes. 

• Responding to behavioral health needs that may jeopardize a defendant’s ability to 

adhere to court-ordered release conditions.

• Partnering with other criminal justice agencies and community organizations to build 

capacity for meeting defendants’ social service needs.

• Effectively managing the appropriated funds entrusted to the Agency’s stewardship.

PSA continues to facilitate requests for technical assistance from national and international 

groups. Requests from domestic groups tend to focus more on understanding the technical 

aspects of how to replicate certain operations, particularly risk assessment. Requests from 

international groups generally focus on explanations of the US civil and criminal justice systems 

at the federal, state, and local levels; the role of various criminal justice system partners; the 

Drug Court model; developing and implementing alternatives to incarceration; and supervision 

techniques for defendants charged with non-violent offenses. Most recently we have provided 

virtual and in-person technical assistance to various entities, including program managers from 

the US Department of State, Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement 

Affairs/Office of Knowledge Management.
3

B. A MODEL FOR INNOVATION

PSA is a leader in the field of criminal justice drug testing, having established the first in-house 

laboratory for a pretrial agency in 1984. Drug testing is key to helping PSA and other justice 

agencies identify and address substance use-related public safety risks posed by individuals 

under supervision. PSA also plays a vital role in supplying the District of Columbia public health 

and public safety communities with information on emerging trends related to drug use within 

the criminal and juvenile justice systems. 

PSA was among the first pretrial agencies to use a risk assessment instrument (RAI) and has used 

some form of risk assessment since its inception. Throughout this time, the Agency has 

leveraged developments in science and best practices to refine and improve its protocols and 

instruments. PSA's RAI was designed exclusively for the District of Columbia using a data set 

consisting of defendants assigned to pretrial supervision in the District of Columbia. To be fair 

and effective, RAIs must be tested regularly to ensure they produce valid results for the 

population being served and are unbiased with respect to race, gender, or other factors. PSA’s 

RAI was most recently validated in 2018 and a revalidation will be completed in FY 2024.

Despite our long-standing commitment to risk assessment, PSA traditionally has utilized a 

program-based approach to supervision where defendants received uniform services, despite 

their level of assessed risk. After considerable planning, PSA transitioned to a risk-based services 

(RBS) model of supervision during FY 2023. Under RBS, both release conditions and case 

management are individualized and tailored to each defendant’s risk and needs. This 

individualized approach, which comprises all supervision and treatment-related activities 

performed by PSA, supports a defendant’s compliance with court-ordered conditions of release, 

appearance at all scheduled court hearings, and arrest-free behavior while on pretrial release. 

Over the last few years, PSA successfully adapted operations in response to the COVID-19 

pandemic. By reimagining assessment and supervision services, the agency assured continuity of 

operations, despite myriad challenges and dynamic circumstances. PSA introduced a risk-based 

triage system to schedule defendants for in-person contact, transitioned to telephonic diagnostic 

interviews, and implemented virtual support of courtroom operations to achieve its mission. In 

addition, PSA deployed technology to shift traditionally in-person defendant engagement 

activities into the virtual sphere. Examples include institution of virtual supervision meetings 

between defendants and Pretrial Services Officers (PSOs); virtual behavioral health services, 

including substance use disorder (SUD) assessments, mental health screenings, and treatment 

groups. As PSA progresses in its post-pandemic operating posture, we are leveraging the lessons 

learned from the pandemic to continue informing our decisions regarding the delivery of 

supervision and treatment services. 
4

II. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

PSA’s organizational structure supports the Agency in operating programs that provide an array 

of services to DC Superior Court, US District Court for the District of Columbia, and the 

defendants under PSA’s supervision. Consistent with the Agency’s strategic plan, PSA is 

organized into two divisions: Defendant Engagement and System Support (DESS) and 

Management and Administration (MA).

Figure 1. PSA Organizational Chart

A. DEFENDANT ENGAGEMENT AND SYSTEM SUPPORT (DESS)

DESS provides diagnostic, supervision, and treatment services to persons awaiting trial in DC 

Superior Court and US District Court. DESS is comprised of the offices responsible for pre-release 

screening and risk assessment, drug testing specimen collection, forensic toxicology, release 

services, defendant supervision, behavioral health assessment and treatment, courtroom 
5 

support, and administrative support. The division is comprised of four offices: Pre-Release and 

Testing, Post-Release and Supervision, Forensic Toxicology Services, and Administrative Services.

1. Pre-Release and Testing

The Office of Pre-Release and Testing performs diagnostic and drug testing services and 

supports the process of transitioning defendants onto pretrial supervision. The office 

consists of two units: Diagnostic Services and Drug Testing and Release Services.

The Diagnostic Services Unit is comprised of Diagnostic Services Teams that interview and 

review the criminal history of defendants arrested and charged with certain DC Code 

offenses and US Code offenses in the DC Superior Court. This information is used to assess 

each defendant’s likelihood of appearing in court when required and remaining arrest-free 

while awaiting trial. This is called a “risk assessment.”

PSA then recommends to the court what, if any, release conditions can be ordered that will 

reasonably assure a defendant’s appearance in court and public safety according to their risk 

level.

The Drug Testing and Release Services Unit consists of two teams: Drug Testing Services and 

Release Services.

The Drug Testing Services Team collects urine and oral fluid specimens from defendants 

during the diagnostic process, and once cases are assigned to PSA for supervision. The team 

also collects specimens from respondents and juveniles with matters pending in DC Superior 

Court Family Division.

Immediately after defendants are released, they report to the Release Services Team to 

review release conditions. This engagement helps support the transition to supervision and 

compliance with the court’s expectations.

2. Post-Release and Supervision

The Office of Post-Release and Supervision is responsible for supervision, treatment 

intervention, and support services. The office consists of three units: Supervision 1, 

Supervision 2, and Treatment.

The Supervision Units supervise most defendants awaiting trial or sentencing in DC Superior 

Court and US District Court. This includes monitoring defendants’ compliance with release 

conditions and reporting this information to the courts.

Common supervision requirements include reporting to a PSO, drug testing, and curfew or 

electronic monitoring. PSA’s supervision components include general supervision teams, as 

well as teams that specialize in the supervision of electronic monitoring and traffic-related 

cases.
6 

The Supervision Units also include PSA’s Court Representatives Teams, which consist of PSOs 

assigned to criminal courtrooms to provide daily support to judges in the form of compliance 

reporting and facilitation of necessary referrals.

PSA’s Treatment Unit is designed for defendants with severe substance use disorders (SUDs) 

and/or acute mental health treatment needs. The unit specializes in the synchronization of 

supervision and behavioral health interventions and consists of three teams: Social Services 

and Assessment, Treatment, and Specialized Supervision.

The Social Services and Assessment Team (SSAT) administers assessments and screenings to 

identify defendants’ treatment needs and assists PSOs in making appropriate referrals for 

treatment services. The SSAT also serves as a repository for information on community 

resources and helps connect defendants with needed social services.

The Treatment Team administers the Superior Court Drug Intervention Program, better 

known as Drug Court, a substance use disorder treatment and supervision program for 

defendants charged with misdemeanors and non-violent felonies. Participants receive 

appropriate treatment and, upon completion of the program, may have misdemeanor 

charges dismissed, receive favorable sentencing, or have felony charges reduced. 

Drug Court is a collaboration among the DC Superior Court, United States Attorney’s Office 

for the District of Columbia (USAO), Office of the Attorney General for the District of 

Columbia (OAG), Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia (PDS), and PSA. 

Through Drug Court, the judiciary, prosecutor, defense attorneys, and PSA work together to 

help defendants achieve sobriety and become law-abiding citizens. PSA’s Treatment Team 

uses innovative case management, referrals to appropriate treatment, and recovery-focused 

incentives and sanctions to support the rehabilitative process. Participants have immediate 

access to SUD treatment and receive specialized care, including gender-specific groups and 

individual and group therapy for trauma-impacted individuals. 

The Treatment Team also administers the Sanction-Based Treatment Track (SBTT). SSBT is 

intended for individuals not eligible for Drug Court but in need of intensive outpatient 

treatment. Individuals in SBTT receive the same treatment options and are subject to the 

same administrative and judicially imposed sanctions as Drug Court participants but, unlike 

Drug Court, SBTT participants have limited judicial interaction and are not eligible for case 

dismissal or other favorable case disposition upon successful completion of treatment. 

3. Forensic Toxicology Services

The Office of Forensic Toxicology Services (OFTS) performs forensic drug testing on urine and 

oral fluid specimens collected from pretrial defendants, offenders supervised by the 

Community Supervision Program (CSP), and certain juveniles and respondents with cases in 

DC Superior Court Family Division.
7 

Urine specimens are screened for up to 32 illicit substances: marijuana, phencyclidine (PCP), 

opiates (codeine/morphine; oxycodone/oxymorphone; hydrocodone/hydromorphone),

methadone, cocaine, heroin, amphetamines (methamphetamine/amphetamine, 

MDMA/MDA), fentanyl, and synthetic cannabinoids (16 analytes). Additionally, specimens 

are tested for ethyl glucuronide (EtG) to confirm alcohol use and for creatinine levels to 

determine specimen validity. Oral fluid specimens are screened for up to nine substances: 

marijuana, PCP, opiates, methadone, cocaine, alcohol, amphetamines, methamphetamine

and oxycodone. OFTS uses gas chromatography and mass spectrometry (GC-MS) to confirm 

drug test results and is in the process of introducing liquid chromatography with tandem 

mass spectrometry (LC-MS-MS) to enhance PSA’s ability to test for emergent opioids and

synthetic compounds. Toxicologists conduct levels analyses to determine whether detected 

drugs signify new or residual use and provide timely and accurate results for pretrial and 

other judicial decision-making.

OFTS also conducts forensic research, as needed, that leads directly to practical 

enhancements in drug testing, improves strategies in surveillance monitoring, reveals trends 

in emerging new drug use, develops bi-directional partnerships with the scientific and social 

research community, and introduces new technologies that improve efficiency and provide 

critical evidence to support future decision-making. 

4. Administrative Services

The Office of Administrative Services (OAS) is responsible for a full range of support 

services for DESS and the Agency. OAS supports DESS offices by facilitating the acquisition 

cycle, improving business processes, and providing technical training to law enforcement 

officers. It supports the Agency by administering the Enterprise Risk Management program, 

the Internal Controls program, the Operations Security program, and the Emergency 

Management program. OAS works across offices to ensure management objectives align with 

PSA’s strategic goals and performance objectives. 

B. MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION (MA) 

The Division of Management and Administration is comprised of the offices responsible for PSA's 

financial management, procurement, facilities management, human capital management, 

information technology, communications and community outreach, legal services, planning, 

performance measurement, research and analysis, and policy development. 

1. Finance and Administration

The Office of Finance and Administration (OFA) assures the effective management and 

financial integrity of PSA programs, activities, and resources by developing, implementing, 

and managing policies, procedures, and systems in the areas of budget formulation and 

execution, finance and accounting, travel, internal controls, financial systems, and contract 

management. OFA also has responsibility for developing and administering policies, 

standards, and procedures regarding facilities management, property management and 
8 

control, space management, vehicles, mail and distribution services, printing and 

reproduction services, and emergency management planning.

2. Human Capital Management

The Office of Human Capital Management (OHCM) develops and administers the full range 

of human resources programs, including organizational design; a comprehensive 

classification, pay, and position management program; staffing and recruitment; awards and 

recognition; payroll administration; employee and labor relations; benefits; and personnel 

security. OHCM also includes the Training and Career Development Unit (TCDU), which 

designs, develops, and manages a diverse training portfolio; assesses training needs; 

develops curricula; and designs, develops, procures, and delivers training courses. TCDU also 

offers formal developmental programs and training opportunities to all staff.

3. Information Technology

The Office of Information Technology (OIT) plans, develops, and manages the information 

technology systems that support PSA programs and management operations as well as 

information technology-related standards, policies, and procedures. OIT assesses PSA’s

technology requirements; configures and manages internal systems and interfaces with 

external systems; manages the agency’s cybersecurity program and compliance with external 

requirements; designs and administers system configuration and architecture including 

hardware and software, telecommunications, network operations, desktop systems, and 

system security; and reviews and approves acquisition of all major hardware, software, and 

information technology contracts for PSA.

4. Communications and Community Outreach

The Office of Communications and Community Outreach (OCCO) fosters effective internal 

and external communications. OCCO establishes and maintains partnerships with judicial 

system partners, other government and non-profit entities, and the community to enhance 

PSA’s ability to provide effective community supervision, enforce accountability, increase 

community awareness of PSA’s public safety role, and develop opportunities for defendants 

under pretrial supervision. These partnerships help PSA achieve its public safety mission, 

while also creating important community connections for defendants during the pretrial 

release period and beyond. 

5. Legal Services

The Office of Legal Services (OLS) is responsible for providing legal counsel to PSA 

management to ensure adherence to relevant laws, regulations and policies governing the 

supervision and monitoring of pretrial defendants; representing the Agency and its interests 

in litigation and before administrative bodies; and providing legal advice and 

recommendations related to the Agency’s administrative functions, including financial 
9 

management, procurement, facilities management, information technology and human 

resources (including employee and labor relations and disability program management).

6. Planning, Policy and Analysis

The Office of Planning, Policy and Analysis (OPPA) uses evidence-based approaches to inform 

planning, policy, and operations. OPPA, in close partnership with other PSA offices, advances 

the Agency’s mission by administering a range of mission-critical functions, including 

strategic planning, business analysis, development and measurement of key performance 

indicators, budget support, policy development and management, evidence-based research 

and analyses, and dashboard development. OPPA routinely tracks and ensures accurate 

reporting of Agency performance data. OPPA’s Deputy Assistant Director serves as PSA’s 

Performance Improvement Officer and Chief Data Officer.
III. PRESIDENT’S BUDGET 2025 REQUEST

Between Fiscal Years 2017 and 2021, PSA implemented significant reductions in non-law

enforcement staffing and employed measures of last resort to meet new and emergent needs while

ensuring Agency resources were directly aligned toward effective treatment and supervision of highrisk defendants in the District of Columbia. The agency reached a crisis point during FY 2021, when

the long-term impacts of absorbing increasing costs related to employee salary and benefits were

compounded by the effects of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. These factors created conditions

that threatened the agency’s ability to continue mission-critical defendant engagement services.

To address these operational challenges, Congress appropriated increased funding for PSA in FY 

2022 and FY 2023. The increased funding enabled PSA to sustain operations and begin stabilizing 

its financial posture. The recruitment actions undertaken during FYs 2022 and 2023 were part of a

two-phased hiring plan designed to restore PSA’s FTE count to meet the demand for its services. 

Current funding has allowed PSA to increase its onboard FTE count from 306 to 371, resulting in

significant reductions to PSO caseloads and enabling PSA to begin building much needed depth in 

coverage for key Agency support functions. Without this continued level of funding, momentum on 

staffing restoration efforts will stop, and the agency will again be forced to modify and/or reduce 

mission critical defendant services. 

PSA appreciates that FY 2024 and FY 2025 present unique financial challenges for the country.

PSA’s FY 2024 annual operations funding at FY 2023 enacted levels is $79,439,000. Our FY 2025

Budget request builds off of this funding level to support required base employee payroll increases,

retirement cost increases, required cybersecurity initiatives, funds for consolidation of PSA facilities

from 601 Indiana Avenue and 1025 F Street into 633 Indiana Avenue, and the associated increases in

shared costs at 633 Indiana Avenue. Appropriations below the FY 2025 requested level would

present significant challenges and negatively impact PSA’s ability to maintain core defendant

supervision operations necessary to meet critical defendant needs and continue to positively impact 

public safety in the District of Columbia. Additionally, if enacted, PSA would be required to once

again institute significant reductions and hiring freezes of key positions, eliminate employee

training, and delay or forego necessary information technology enhancements.

PSA’s FY 2025 President’s Budget (PB) request includes $85,526,000 in annual funding supporting

371 FTE and $7,304,000 in 3-year funding for relocation costs, for a total amount of $92,830,000.

10
11

Figure 2. 

1 The FY 2022 Enacted Budget included $7,304,000 in Three-Year (FY 2022-2024) funding for costs associated with a replacement lease for PSA's 

Headquarters (601/633 Indiana Avenue, NW, and 1025 F Street, NW). 

2 The FY 2023 Enacted Budget includes $2,567,000 in Three-Year (FY 2023-2025) funding for costs associated with a replacement lease for PSA's 

Headquarters (601/633 Indiana Avenue, NW, and 1025 F Street, NW). 

3 FY 2024 PSA Estimate is based upon Annual Operations funding of $86,171,000 submitted by PSA for PB 2024 and Three-Year Relocation funding of 

2,503,000.

4 The FY 2025 PSA Budget Request includes $7,304,000 in Three-Year (FY 2025-2027) funding for costs associated with a replacement lease for PSA's 

601 & 633 Indiana Avenue, NW, locations and related facilities. These funds represent a re-request of FY 2022 Enacted (FY 2022-2024) relocation 

resources that may expire, unused, due to delays in these relocation projects. 

 

Annual 

Amount

ThreeYear 

Amount

Total 

Appropriation 

Amount

FTE $(000) $(000) $(000)

FY 2022 Enacted Budget 1 344 73,116 7,304 80,420

FY 2023 Enacted Budget 2 371 79,439 998 80,437

FY 2024 PSA at current staffing and ops level (FY23) 3 371 79,439 2,503 81,942

Changes to Base:

FY 2024 Pay Raise, FERS and lease cost increases 3,235

FY 2025 Pay Raise - 1,875 - 1,875

FY 2025 Headquarters Building Consolidation/Lease Inflation - 977 977

Sub-Total, Changes to Base - 6,087 - 2,852

FY 2025 Base 371 85,526 2,503 88,029

FY 2025 Requested Program Changes:

PSA Headquarters Relocation 4 - - 4,801 4,801

Sub-Total, Requested Program Changes - - 4,801 4,801

FY 2025 PSA Budget Request 371 85,526 7,304 92,830

Increase (Decrease) versus FY 2023 Enacted Budget - 6,087 6,306 12,393

Percent Increase (Decrease) versus FY 2023 Enacted Budget 0% 8% 632% 15%

Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia

FY25 Summary of Changes at FY24 Flat plus Pay Raises & Inflation 
12

Pretrial Services Agency – FY 2025 Adjustments to Base $6,087,000 0 FTE

FY 2024 Pay Raise and Inflation Cost $3,235,000 0 FTE

PSA requests $3,235,000 to support additional payroll increases resulting from the January 2024 

Federal Pay Raise, FERS Retirement and other lease increases. 

FY 2025 Pay Raise Increase $1,875,000

 

0 FTE

PSA requests $1,875,000 to support FY 2025 (October 2024 – September 2025) payroll cost 

increases associated with an estimated 2.0 percent 2025 civilian pay raise.

FY 2025 Headquarters Building Consolidation

Lease Inflation Costs $977,000

 

 

0 FTE

PSA’s FY 2025 estimate includes $977,000 funding for lease inflationary costs and to support space 

acquisition and planning to consolidate PSA’s Headquarters locations into a single building lease at 

633 Indiana Ave, NW. 

 

Pretrial Services Agency – FY 2025 Program Changes $7,304,000 0 FTE 

Headquarters Relocation $7,304,000 0 FTE 

The FY 2022 Enacted Budget contains $7,304,000 in Three Year (FY 2022-2024) funding as the first 

installment of resources to support space acquisition and planning to relocate PSA’s Headquarters at

633 Indiana Avenue, NW location and related facilities. 

PSA re-requests FY 2025 (FY 2025-2027) funds in the amount of $7,304,000 as a contingency for 

Headquarters space acquisition delays that may result in FY 2022 Enacted funds (FY 2022-2024) 

expiring before use.
13

Figure 3. 

Figure 4.

FY 2022 FY 2023 PB FY 2024 FY 2025

Actual Enacted FY 2024 Full Year 

CR

Budget 

Request $ Percent $ Percent

11.1 Full-Time Permanent 35,062 40,403 45,073 45,239 46,145 906 2% 5,742 14%

11.5 Other Personnel Compensation 899 1,083 1,184 1,184 1,184 0 0% 101 9%

12.1 Civilian Personnel Benefits 18,179 18,944 22,161 21,161 22,116 955 5% 3,172 17%

Personnel Compensation and Benefits Total 54,139 60,430 68,418 67,584 69,445 1,861 3% 9,015 15%

21.0 Travel and Transportation of Persons 0 60 1 62 0 (62) -100% (60) -100%

23.1 Rental Payments to GSA 3,306 3,092 4,899 4,074 5,586 1,512 37% 2,494 81%

23.2 Rental Payments to Others 2,278 2,103 111 1,251 113 (1,138) -91% (1,990) -95%

23.3 Communications, Utility & Miscellaneous Charges 621 736 750 750 706 (44) -6% (30) -4%

24.0 Printing and Reproduction 20 19 18 18 14 (4) -22% (5) -26%

25.1 Advisory and Assistance Services 847 767 500 500 439 (61) -12% (328) -43%

25.2 Other Services from Non-Federal Sources 3,993 5,193 5,388 2,475 4,648 2,173 88% (545) -10%

25.3 Other Goods and Services from Federal Sources 1,752 1,336 1,300 900 2,058 1,158 129% 722 54%

25.4 Operation and Maintenance of Facilities 31 146 65 65 229 164 252% 83 57%

25.7 Operation and Maintenance of Equipment 186 465 700 700 540 (160) -23% 75 16%

26.0 Supplies and Materials 570 1,241 750 910 1,327 417 46% 86 7%

31.0 Equipment (& Furniture) 3,377 3,850 3,271 150 421 271 181% (3,429) -89%

Non-personnel Costs Total 16,981 19,009 17,753 11,855 16,081 4,226 22% (2,927) -15%

Gross Obligations Total 71,120 79,439 86,171 79,439 85,526 6,088 8% 6,088 8%

Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia

President's Budget (PB) 2025 Summary of Obligations by Object Class

(in Thousands of Dollars)

Change FY25 to 

FY24 CR 

Change FY25 to 

FY23 Object Class and Description

FY 2022 FY 2023 PB FY 2025

Actual Enacted FY 2024 Budget 

Request $ Percent $ Percent

23.1 Rental Payments to GSA 7,304 998 2,503 7,304 4,801 6,306

Gross Obligation Total 7,304 998 2,503 7,304 4,801 192% 6,306 632%

Change FY25 to Change FY25 to 

Object Class and Description

Lease Prospectus Obligation by Object Code
14

Figure 5.

Description

Grade FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount FTE Amount

SES 3 $580 3 $595 3 $625 3 $630 0 $5

GS-15 11 $1,824 11 $1,874 11 $1,978 11 $2,018 0 $40

GS-14 40 $5,929 48 $6,855 49 $7,489 52 $7,989 3 $500

GS-13 64 $8,097 74 $9,373 74 $9,972 62 $8,425 -12 -$1,547

GS-12 170 $17,368 179 $19,400 179 $20,976 191 $23,136 12 $2,160

GS-11 10 $797 10 $818 9 $797 6 $521 -3 -$276

GS-09 16 $1,183 16 $1,215 16 $1,298 15 $1,197 -1 -$101

GS-08 4 $293 4 $301 4 $314 2 $165 -2 -$149

GS-07 15 $940 17 $1,031 17 $1,265 22 $1,670 5 $405

GS-06 0 $0 1 $53 1 $58 0 $0 -1 -$58

GS-05 11 $172 8 $444 8 $467 7 $395 -1 -$72

Total 344 A $37,183 371 B $41,959 371 $45,239 371 $46,145 0 $906

Pretrial Services Agency for the District of Columbia

President's Budget (PB) 2025 Summary of FTEs by Pay Grade

(in Thousands of Dollars)

FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024 CR FY 2025 2024 to 2025

B FY 2023 371 FTE represents PSA's operating plan based on enacted appropriation

A FY 2022 344 FTE represents PSA's operating plan based on enacted appropriation 

Actual Enacted Estimate Budget Request Change
15

IV. STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

PSA’s Strategic Plan sets forth the Agency’s priorities, goals and objectives that cascade throughout 

all levels of the organization to guide our work in achieving our mission of promoting pretrial justice 

and enhancing community safety while striving for efficient Agency administration. Agency leaders

use this Plan to drive resource allocations, thereby empowering employees to transform strategies

into actions and measurable results. Progress on our goals and objectives is measured using a 

comprehensive set of key performance indicators (KPIs) and regularly reviewed with staff at all 

levels of the organization. These reviews promote thoughtful discussion on Agency advancement, 

highlighting areas of success and helping staff to identify opportunities for improvements and 

adjustments.

PSA’s FYs 2022–2026 Strategic Plan is composed of four strategic goals and one management 

objective that outline the long-term outcomes we plan to achieve (see Figure #6). The four strategic 

goals focus on effective mission accomplishment, and the management objective focuses on 

efficient Agency administration. The four strategic goals are supported by specific objectives 

essential to our success. Key strategies outline how we will achieve our objectives and the 

performance indictors measure progress toward our goals.

Figure 6. PSA’s FY 2022–2026 Strategic Framework
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V. PROGRAM PERFORMANCE

As it continues to adjust to its post-pandemic operating posture, PSA has met or exceeded 

performance targets for all its strategic goals in FY 2023. These results were achieved through 

innovative supervision and management practices. At the same time, PSA deployed a risk-basedservices model in April 2023, which will allow PSA to customize release conditions and supervision 

based on each defendant’s assessed risk levels for failure to appear and rearrest. This evolution 

demonstrates PSA’s commitment to continuous improvement and will assure PSA remains a 

leader among pretrial services agencies. 

While PSA continued to meet or exceed performance targets for most strategic goals during 

FY 2023, there was a demonstrated decrease in performance on judicial concurrence and 

continued pretrial release measures. These decreases were anticipated because of the 

migration to RBS, under which defendants may be recommended for higher or lower initial 

levels of supervision than previously, and/or recommended for revocation with greater 

frequency than the prior supervision model. We will continue to regularly monitor outcomes 

considering recent operational changes, promote increased communication with our criminal 

justice partners and as needed, implement additional staff training on new policies and 

procedures.

Performance Indicator FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024–2026

Performance Description Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Target

Strategic 

Goal 1

Judicial Concurrence

with PSA 

Recommendations

78% 79% 84% 76% 69% ^ 70%

Strategic 

Goal 2

Continued Pretrial 

Release

87% 85% 89% 89% 86% 85%

Strategic 

Goal 3

Arrest Free Rate 87% 88% 90% 93% 92% 88%

(Violent Crimes) 99% 99% 98% 99% 99% 97%

Strategic 

Goal 4

Court Appearance 

Rate

88% 91% 92% 89% 87% 87%

^ The one percentage point difference from the target was statistically insignificant

Table 1. Overall Performance by Strategic Goal
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A. KEY AGENCY STRATEGIES

STRATEGIC GOAL 1: JUDICIAL CONCURRENCE WITH PSA RECOMMENDATIONS

PSA promotes the fair administration of justice by recommending the least restrictive 

release conditions to reasonably assure community safety and return to court. To support 

judicial decisions, PSA provides a Pretrial Services Report (PSR), which contains a summary 

of each defendant’s criminal history and demographic information, as well as 

recommended release conditions designed to mitigate the risk of failure to appear in court 

and rearrest during the pretrial period. To gauge the degree to which our 

recommendations align with the judiciary’s orders, we implemented a measure assessing 

the extent to which judges concur with and implement PSA’s initial release conditions. 

During this strategic period, we will expand the measure to assess concurrence with our 

recommendations throughout the supervision period. In addition, we will continue to 

monitor impacts of RBS implementation on future concurrence rates.

Strategic Objective 1.1 Risk Assessment

To gauge the quality of the information provided to judges for decision making, PSA

implemented a measure of PSR completeness. A PSR is considered “complete” when it

contains defendant interview responses (or documented refusal thereof), lockup drug test 

results, criminal history, and release condition recommendations based on a risk 

assessment score, prior to the case being called in court.

Performance Indicators 

Performance Indicator FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024–2026

Performance Description Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Target

Strategic 

Goal 1

Judicial Concurrence with 

PSA Recommendations

78% 79% 84% 76% 69% 70%

Strategic 

Objective 1.1

Risk Assessment (e.g., 

Completed PSRs) ∗

72% 73% N/A N/A 73% 73%

Table 2. Performance Indicators for Strategic Goal 1 

∗ Rates are not reported for this performance measure for FYs 2021 and 2022 because some or all activity needed to calculate the measure was 

suspended for at least 50 percent of those fiscal years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. PSA expects this number to increase when the court and all 

interagency partners return to pre-pandemic operations. 
18

While PSA essentially met its overall performance target for Strategic Goal 1: Judicial

Concurrence with PSA Recommendations, performance was seven percentage points lower 

in FY 2023 than FY 2022. It is possible the implementation of RBS impacted this overall 

goal, and the Agency will conduct additional analyses on this goal and its supporting 

strategic objective.

Key Strategies Supporting Strategic Direction

1. Revalidate the risk-assessment instrument for DC Superior Court to ensure it continues

to maintain predictive validity and accuracy.

During FY 2024, PSA will conduct an independent revalidation of its risk assessment 

instrument to ensure it continues to perform with predictive efficacy; determine 

whether performance can be improved by modifying risk factors or weights applied 

to those risk factors that calculate overall risk scores; control, to the extent 

possible, for bias with respect to race: and appropriately identify any increased risks

associated with a defendant’s history of firearm-related arrests, and/or convictions.

2. Implement and evaluate the validity of a new risk assessment instrument for US District 

Court to ensure consistency with federal district courts across the nation.

In FY 2023, PSA deployed a Risk Assessment Instrument for the US District Court 

[Risk Assessment for the District of Columbia (RADC)], which is a scientifically-based 

instrument to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of pretrial supervision. Use 

of this instrument will enhance our ability to provide a comprehensive summary to 

the US District Court of each defendant’s demographic information, criminal 

history, and recommended release conditions. It will also bring PSA in line with 

other federal judicial districts nationwide.

3. Expand the judicial concurrence metric to measure judicial concurrence with PSA 

recommendations throughout the pretrial supervision period.

Effective supervision requires structured, evidence-based protocols, strategically

targeting an individual’s assessed criminogenic risks and needs. From arraignment 

hearings to subsequent hearings, PSA recommends, as appropriate, a variety of 

release conditions and behavioral health interventions that are designed to help 

defendants safely remain in the community. To gauge judicial concurrence beyond 

the initial hearing, PSA will expand the judicial concurrence measure to examine 

court agreement with Agency recommendations throughout the supervision period.

STRATEGIC GOAL 2: CONTINUED PRETRIAL RELEASE

Allowing defendants to safely remain in the community while awaiting trial is an important 

component of an effective pretrial system. During the pretrial period, PSA undertakes 
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efforts to address and resolve non-compliant behavior to help achieve the goal of 

continued community presence. To gauge the effectiveness of our supervision services, we 

implemented a measure of continued pretrial release, which examines the rate at which

defendants remain on release without revocation or a pending request for revocation due 

to non-compliance.

Strategic Objective 2.1 Effective Case Management

Case management is an individualized approach for securing, coordinating, and monitoring 

the appropriate risk-based services necessary to help each defendant successfully comply

with release conditions. To gauge the effectiveness of defendant case management, PSA 

implemented a measure of defendant compliance at case disposition.

Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024–2026

Performance Description Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Target

Strategic Goal 

2

Continued Pretrial

Release

87% 85% 89% 89% 86% 85%

Strategic 

Objective 2.1

Compliance with 

Release Conditions 

(e.g., Closeout 

Assessment)

77% 74% 68% 78% 77% 77%

Table 3. Performance Indicators for Strategic Goal 2 

Key Strategies Supporting Strategic Direction

1. Continue improving and evaluating business processes for risk-based services.

In the latter part of FY 2023, PSA conducted initial analyses assessing the 

implementation of RBS. Results are forthcoming and as they become available will 

be used to improve our business processes. Additionally, PSA plans to conduct 

further analyses to monitor the efficacy and effectiveness of RBS. PSA will focus on

continuous evaluation and ongoing improvement of our services to ensure that 

supervision strategies are targeting individuals with medium-to-high levels of risk 

and needs, and services are aligned with defendant’s assessed level of risk.

2. Expand the use of virtual technologies to increase communication with defendants.
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PSA will expand the use of email/text messaging to communicate with defendants

to remind them of court dates, mental health screenings and substance use 

disorder (SUD) assessments, and supervision meetings. PSA will also continue to 

expand its capability to conduct diagnostic interviews over the telephone, and 

supervision meetings, SUD assessments and mental health screenings using 

teleconferencing applications, when necessary.

3. Increase defendant access to community-based resources through expanded

partnerships.

PSA will expand its partnerships with law enforcement, justice partners, and

neighboring communities within the DC, Maryland, and Virginia metropolitan area 

to increase community awareness of PSA’s public safety role, and defendants’ 

access to culturally relevant and geographically specific community-based resources

to address their identified needs.

STRATEGIC GOAL 3: MINIMIZE REARREST

PSA supervision is designed to mitigate defendant risk, address needs that may impact 

defendant success on supervision and help defendants remain arrest-free. To gauge our 

effectiveness in minimizing rearrests, we implemented a measure of the arrest-free rate.

Strategic Objective 3.1 Risk-Based Services

PSA focuses supervision resources on defendants most at risk of violating their release

conditions and uses graduated levels of supervision and pro-social interventions to 

promote compliance.

PSA’s supervision strategies include imposing swift, consistent and graduated responses for

non-compliance with release conditions and providing appropriate incentives for 

defendants who consistently comply. 

To gauge the effectiveness of our supervision strategies, we implemented measures to

evaluate the rate of our response to defendant misconduct.

Strategic Objective 3.2 Assessment-Driven Treatment

An effective approach for minimizing rearrests during the pretrial period is addressing

underlying issues that may impact a defendant’s success on supervision, such as SUD and 

mental health treatment needs. After a formal assessment is conducted and a need 

identified, PSA provides—either through contract services or referral—appropriate 

behavioral health services aligned with risk-based priority. 

Treatment for substance use and/or mental health disorders is provided as a component 
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of, and never as a substitute for, PSA’s robust supervision protocols. Defendants with 

behavioral health treatment needs are assigned to supervision units that provide services 

based on both risk and need. In addition to appropriate treatment, defendants placed in 

these units have release conditions to support compliance, including substance use testing, 

regular supervision contact, and treatment program participation. To gauge the 

effectiveness of these interventions, we measure defendant referral, assessment, and 

placement in treatment programs.

Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024–2026

Performance Description Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Target

Strategic Goal 

3

Arrest-Free Rate 

(Overall)

87% 88% 90% 93% 92% 88%

Arrest-Free Rate

(Violent Crimes) 99% 99% 98% 99% 99% 97%

Strategic 

Objective 

3.1.1

Response to 

Defendant Conduct

(Drug Infractions)

89% 91% 93% 91% 95% 80%

Response to 

Defendant Conduct

(Contact Infractions)

89% 93% 88% 86% 94% 70%

Response to 

Defendant Conduct

(Electronic 

Monitoring 

Infractions)

95% 94% 98% 98% 97% 92%

Response to 

Defendant Conduct

(Group Session 

Infractions) *

80% 78% N/A 80% 87% 80%

Strategic 

Objective 

3.2.1

Substance Use 

Disorder(SUD) 

Assessments *

96% 95% N/A 93% 100% 95% 

Strategic 

Objective 

3.2.2

Placement into 

Substance Use 

Disorder(SUD) 

Treatment *

50% 33% N/A 44% 49% ^ 50%
22

Strategic 

Objective 

3.2.3

Reduction in Drug 

Use * 

85% 85% N/A 77% 87% 74%

Strategic 

Objective 

3.2.4

Mental Health 

Assessments* 

93% 84% N/A 76% 97% 90%

Strategic 

Objective 

3.2.5

Connection to 

Mental Health 

Services * 

86% 92% N/A 76% 78% 70%

^ The one percentage point difference from the target was statistically insignificant

Table 4. Performance Indicatorsfor Strategic Goal 3 1

PSA exceeded its performance targets for Strategic Goal 3: Minimize Rearrest and eight of

nine performance indicators associated with the strategic objectives supporting the goal.

The performance indicator in which the Agency fell short of established targets is: 

Strategic Objective 3.2.2: Placement into Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Treatment

The suspension of drug testing and limitations associated with both SUD treatment and 

mental health services during the COVID-19 pandemic required PSA to adjust and curtail 

services requiring close in-person contact. This unprecedented shift in operations initially

had a negative impact on some FY 2023 performance outcomes. As pandemic impacts 

abated, performance on behavioral health-related measures improved in the last portion 

of 2023. 

Among PSA’s priorities for the FY 2022–2026 planning period are to continue adapting 

supervision strategies for the post-pandemic world and assessing the effectiveness of these 

strategies. PSA continues to offer virtual assessment and treatment offerings, where

applicable, to accommodate defendants unable to attend in-person.

Key Strategies Supporting Strategic Direction (Strategic Objective 3.1)

1. Prioritize sanctions and court reportsfor non-compliant high-risk defendants.

To assist judicial officers in identifying court reports that require immediate action, 

PSA implemented a priority reporting system to assist with expediting judicial

responses to non-compliance by high-risk defendants. PSA designates reports as 

* Rates are not reported for this performance measure for FY 2021 because some or all activity needed to calculate 

the measure was suspended for at least 50 percent of the fiscal year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 
23

“high priority” when high-risk defendants are declared a loss of contact, violate a 

stay away order or when a defendant (irrespective of risk level) threatens or

assaults someone, or tampers with electronic monitoring equipment. With the 

introduction of RBS, PSA will further refine reports to aid in judicial decision making, 

with a goal of expediting decisions for defendants at highest risk of rearrest.

2. Ensure timely installation of electronic monitoring equipment.

Court-ordered electronic monitoring (EM) provides an alternative to incarceration 

in managing higher-risk defendants under PSA supervision. Judiciary requests for

courthouse installations of EM equipment installations are completed the same 

day. All other defendants court-ordered to EM have equipment installed within one 

business day.

3. Respond timely to defendant non-compliance with conditions of release to enhance 

defendants' observance of court requirements.

PSA uses graduated responses to address defendant’s non-compliance with release

conditions. With the migration to RBS, a Risk-Based Graduated Response Guide has

been developed to assist PSOs with identifying appropriate responses to noncompliant behaviors within one to three business days based on defendant’s risklevel.

Key Strategies Supporting Strategic Direction (Strategic Objective 3.2)

1. Expand the availability to conduct virtual assessments, as appropriate, to eligible

defendants.

During the pandemic, PSA acquired software that enables the agency to provide

virtual mental health screenings and SUD assessments to defendants with

behavioral health needs under PSA supervision. While approximately half of 

assessments are currently done in-person, PSA continues to use this technology, as 

needed, to reduce barriers and ensure defendants are appropriately assessed and 

referred to treatment services.

2. Increase virtual offerings for intensive outpatient treatment, as appropriate.

PSA will continue to work with its contract-funded treatment vendors to provide

virtual group services for SUD treatment to its defendants participating in Drug 

Court and sanction-based treatment, as appropriate. 

3. Ensure timely assessment and connection to behavioral health services.

PSA completes same day screenings when requested by judges. For screenings that 

identify emergency or urgent needs, referrals for service are provided immediately.
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For screenings that reveal non-emergency needs, referrals for service are provided 

within five business days.

4. Ensure the use of evidence-based treatment protocols by contracted service providers.

PSA will routinely evaluate treatment curricula utilized by contracted service 

providers to ensure the use of evidence-based protocols and the provision of

current treatment practices for group facilitation and innovative treatment services 

for its PSA Support, Treatment and Addiction Recovery Services (STARS) program.

STRATEGIC GOAL 4: MAXIMIZE COURT APPEARANCE

The strategic goal of maximizing court appearance is one of the most basic outcome

measures for pretrial programs. Within PSA, this strategic goal is measured by the 

defendant appearance rate, which indicates the percentage of defendants on pretrial 

release who make all scheduled court appearances.

Strategic Objective 4.1 Court Appearance Notifications

To minimize failures to appear, defendants are notified of upcoming court dates using their 

preferred method of notification. An automatic hierarchy is then generated for

notifications to the defendant (e.g., email, text messages, and letters) based on the 

defendant’s preference. An analysis of court appearance notification methods suggests 

that text messages are the most effective in yielding the highest court appearance rates. To 

gauge the effectiveness of the notification for court appearance, we implemented a 

measure to determine the rate of court appearance according to the preferred notification 

method.
25

Performance Indicators

Performance Indicator FY 2019 FY 2020 FY 2021 FY 2022 FY 2023 FY 2024–2026 

Performance Description Actual Actual Actual Actual Actual Target

Strategic Goal 

4

Court Appearance Rate 88% 91% 92% 89% 87% 87%

Strategic 

Objective 4.1

CourtNotification 

Automation

22% 28% 29% 43% 52% 25%

Table 5. Performance Indicators for Strategic Goal 4 

PSA exceeded its performance targets for Strategic Goal 4: Maximize Court Appearance and

its supporting strategic objective.

Key Strategies Supporting Strategic Direction

1. Continue to increase the use of automated notification methods (e.g., text, email)

PSA notifies defendants of future court dates to minimize failures to appear in 

court. To continue with timeliness of these reminders, PSA will ask defendants 

about their preferred method of notification to increase the use of automated 

notification methods. An automatic hierarchy will be applied for generating

notification to defendants based on their preference.

2. Update templates for court date notification letters, emails and texts.

PSA will conduct an internal evaluation using revised reminders with defendants

evaluating their effectiveness and will continue to use insights from behavioral 

science to improve communications to defendants about their future court dates.

B. FY 2023 KEY AGENCY ACCOMPLISHMENTS

In FY 2023, PSA continued to advance its mission of promoting pretrial justice and enhancing 

community safety. PSA focused on innovative approaches to meeting its mission while 

gradually resuming in-person operations following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Both 

operations and management offices achieved notable accomplishments during the year, some 

of which are detailed below.
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1. Risk Based Services (RBS)

One of PSA’s most noteworthy accomplishments in FY 2023 was the full deployment of its 

risk-based services model (RBS) in April 2023. This new approach to supervision resulted in 

modifying several supervision protocols, to include making risk-based release 

recommendations, responding to defendant noncompliance and applying sanctions based 

on risk, identifying and addressing obstacles to defendant success, and prioritizing services 

(e.g., treatment and electronic monitoring) for the highest risk defendants. Following the 

launch of RBS, PSA conducted a series of process reviews to appraise the success of and 

fidelity to this new operating model during its implementation phase. The reviews focused 

on determining if staff were following the RBS guidance and ensuring that supervisors were 

conducting monthly audits. Results from these reviews are forthcoming.

The transition to RBS required updating PSA’s client management system (CMS), the 

Pretrial Realtime Information System Manager (PRISM), to support full deployment of RBS

resulting in the implementation of more than 200 system changes. Additionally, PRISM was 

secured and reinforced to bring it into compliance with modern IT security standards and 

ensure the system can support RBS into the future. 

2. Increase Staffing and Workforce Support and Development

PSA onboarded 41 new employees during FY 2023, filling many mission-critical positions in 

the Agency that had been vacant and/or were unable to be filled for several years due to 

budget constraints. These new staff conduct and support the work of PSA resulting in 

smaller, more manageable caseloads, the successful implementation of RBS, and necessary

support for key management and administrative functions underlying the work of the

Agency. 

Additionally, in FY 2023, PSA successfully and efficiently implemented its return to on-site 

work, negotiated pilot telework programs while ensuring adequate office coverage and 

protecting mission-critical in-person functions. PSA also transitioned to an automated 

system for performance management, improved employee access to their performance 

information, and promoted supervisory accountability in all phases of the performance 

management cycle. Finally, as pandemic limitations continued to ease, PSA expanded 

various training, engagement, and developmental activities in support of the PSA 

workforce.

PSA established a Technical Development and Assistance Unit (TDAU) to provide training 

and support the development of specialized skills that PSOs and other law enforcement 

staff need to work in the D.C. criminal justice system. This unit is focused on developing, 

and delivering, instructional materials for all DESS technical law enforcement skills, law 

enforcement systems, and Agency-specific law enforcement job functions. Additionally, 
27

this unit communicates best practices, instructions, new information, and trends in the 

pretrial services arena.

3. Audit Review Tracking System

PSA implemented a Pretrial Services Officers (PSO) case audit review tracking system for 

supervisors. This tool allows supervisors to complete and document outcomes of monthly 

audits, including a summary of corrective actions the supervisor took with an employee. 

The audit system also provides data to identify and analyze trends in case management, 

which can be used to identify both strengths and challenges in case management. With this 

information, DESS can make data-driven decisions in the revision or creation of 

instructions, as well as in the development of staff training. As of September 30, 2023, 

DESS supervisors performed 2,280 case audits.

4. Cybersecurity Improvements and IT enhancements

In FY 2023, PSA began enforcing the login to Agency systems using personal identity 

verification (PIV) to bring PSA into security compliance for multi-factor authentication. 

Additionally, new applications have been implemented on to Agency devices to protect 

Agency assets and data. 

PSA is in the final stages of implementing ServiceDesk Plus, an enterprise service 

management platform that will help the Agency design and deliver critical IT and business 

services. As of the end FY 2023, setup of the system was complete and testing is in 

progress. The system will be fully deployed in early March 2024. 

5. Planning, Policy and Analysis

PSA developed a series of dashboards using PowerBI to provide a current snapshot of key 

Agency performance metrics. The dashboard highlights defendant counts, average days of 

supervision, the four main strategic goal performance rates, a select set of strategic 

objective rates, and average daily caseload by supervision team. It combines numerous 

reports into one visually appealing dashboard that is updated regularly so staff have access 

to the most recent facts and figures describing PSA’s defendant population. Routinely 

monitoring performance, particularly considering recent operational changes, allows the 

Agency to identify bottlenecks in processes and take corrective action to address trends in 

performance targets.

In FY 2023, PSA launched an initiative to create business process maps for the Agency’s key 

processes and procedures. These business process maps outline key procedures in the 

areas of HR, legal services and finance and administration, providing a concise visual 

representation of the critical steps needed to bring a product, service or other process 

from start to completion. These serve as the foundation for writing policy and will also be 
28

used to develop key performance indicators (KPIs) for these functions as the Agency 

continues to develop its performance measurement system. 

6. Forensic Toxicology Services

PSA continued to provide timely and accurate drug testing results for defendants, 

supported external stakeholders with drug testing results and other information, installed

five new Gas Chromatography / Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) machines, and ensured that 

PSA’s drug testing laboratories remained in compliance with Clinical Laboratory 

Improvements Amendment (CLIA) regulations. During FY23 OFTS:

• worked collaboratively with CSP to successfully deploy fentanyl screening tests for 

the offender population;

• provided 108 affidavits to support hearings and adjudications in parole and 

probation cases;

• consistently provided toxicology support to drug court proceedings through 

attendance at drug court staffing each time court is in session;

• provided 14 litigation packets to support drug court hearings;

• worked collaboratively with OPPA to provide timely and monthly drug test report to 

CSP for the supervision of the offender population;

• achieved CLIA reaccreditation for the Agency’s primary and satellite laboratories;

• reduced turnaround times for lockup and spot drug test results to less than two 

hours; 

• installed five new instruments, which are were validated for integration into routine 

drug testing; and

• started the validation of our LC-MS-MS instrument for the in-house confirmation of 

fentanyl, with validation studies for other opiates/opioids to follow.