U.S. flag
      An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.
        Here's how you know
      Here's how you know**Official websites use .gov**
            
            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
      **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
            
            A **lock** (
            A locked padlock
            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Menu

      
        close

            
            
                                              About NIJ
        
                    
  
          About NIJ
      
    
          The NIJ Director
          How NIJ Is Organized
          Mission and Guiding Principles
          Research and Development Process
          Strategic Framework
          Assessments of NIJ
          Annual Reports & Reports to Congress
          Staff Directory
          Funding & Awards
        
                    
  
          Funding & Awards
      
    
          Current Funding
          Forthcoming Funding
          Expired Funding
          Awards: Listing of Funded Projects
          Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
          Fellowship & Student Programs
          Travel Scholarships
          NIJ Challenge Program
          Library & Multimedia
        
                    
  
          Library & Multimedia
      
    
          NIJ Journal
          Podcasts
          Publications Listing
          Multimedia Listing
          Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
          Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
          Software & Databases
          Datasets
          Patents
          Topics
        
                    
  
          Topics
      
    
          Article Listing
          Corrections
          Courts
          Crime Prevention
          Crimes
          Drugs and Crime
          Equipment and Technology
          Forensic Sciences
          Youth Justice
          Justice System Reform
          Law Enforcement
          Tribal Crime and Justice
          Victims of Crime
          Events
        
                    
  
          Events
      
    
          NIJ 2024 Research Conference
          Scheduled Events
          On-Demand Events
          Research Meetings & Workshops
          NIJ-Hosted Online Training

                            
                                About
          Contact Us
          Subscribe
          Topics A-Z
                  Share
FacebookXLinkedInRedditPinterestEmail Home
                            Library & Multimedia
 Pretrial Release Decision
NCJ Number
              172031

Author(s)
          J Clark, D A Henry
Date Published

January 1997
Length
              6 pages
Annotation
              This article examines the pretrial release decision-making process.
Abstract
              Pretrial release decision-making must reconcile the goals of releasing as many as possible of persons awaiting adjudication of pending criminal charges, and ensuring that these persons appear in court and do not pose a threat to the public or to any specific individual during pretrial release. Problems in striking that balance include: (1) One-half of the inmates in local jails have not been adjudicated; they are awaiting trial; (2) Failure-to-appear rates are substantially higher than they were in the 1960s and 1970s; (3) Financial bail is set in many felony cases, leaving the ultimate outcome of release or detention to defendants' ability to post the bail or hire a bonding agent; and (4) Minorities, especially African-Americans, are more likely to be detained and to be detained longer, and are less likely to be released by financial means. To improve pretrial decision-making, those shortcomings must be remedied and other issues addressed, namely: the disparity in release decisions and outcomes, better training in pretrial release matters for criminal justice personnel, more research into indicators of pretrial risk, and explanation for the continued use of bonding for profit as a pretrial release option. Notes
      
  
          Additional Details
Agencies
        NIJ-Sponsored
    
  
  
Date Published: January 1, 1997
    
          Downloads
        
                      *No download available*

Side navigation
  

        

  
  
              NIJ Journal
    
      
            
            
            
      Podcasts
    
      
            
            
            
      Publications Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Multimedia Listing
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Practices on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Rated Programs on CrimeSolutions
    
      
            
            
            
      Software & Databases
    
      
            
            
            
      Datasets
    
      
            
            
            
      PatentsRelated Topics
        
                Pretrial release
        Black/African Americans
        Criminal justice research



  
Similar Publications
        
                      Adolescents’ Expectations for Types of Victim Retaliation Following Direct Bullying
                  Patterns of Dating and Peer Aggression and Victimization Among Early Adolescents: Relations With Individual, Peer, and School Factors
                  A School-Based Expressive Writing Intervention for At-Risk Urban Adolescents' Aggressive Behavior and Emotional Lability
 Top

      National Institute of Justice

        
        
                        About NIJ
                    About NIJ
      
    
                  How NIJ Is Organized
      
    
                  NIJ Director
      
    
                  Research Disclaimer
      
    
                  Funding & Awards
                    Funding & Awards Home
      
    
                  Awards Listing
      
    
                  Current Funding
      
    
                  Guidance for Applicants and Awardees
      
    
                  Resources
                    Events
      
    
                  Podcasts
      
    
                  Publications
      
    
                  Topics
      
    
                  Multimedia
      
    
                  Reuse Policy
      
    
                  Contacts
                    Contact NIJ
      
    
                  Staff Directory
      
    
                  Submit a FOIA Request
      
    
                  File a Civil Rights ComplaintFacebook
          
                      X
          
                      YouTube
  

      810 7th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20531
      
              Secondary Footer link menu
            Accessibility
              Plain Language
              Privacy Policy
              Legal Policies and Disclaimer
              No FEAR Act
              Freedom of Information Act
              USA.gov
              Justice.gov