Accordingly, a full-time staff lends continuity and stability to the program. Regardless of the composition of the staff, the personnel of the pretrial services agency should be committed to the basic principles of the use of nonfinancial release. While no specific education or employment backgrounds are recommended, persons whose backgrounds or attitudes might compromise the procedures, philosophies, or neutral posture of the agency are generally less desirable than persons without such views or backgrounds. All staff of the pretrial services agency have some degree of interaction with other personnel of the criminal justice system. The lines of authority and responsibility must be sharply defended in order that the role of the representative is clearly known to the staff and other agencies as well.
Many agencies make extensive use of volunteer staffs.
Again, commitment to the basic principles of nonfinancial release is critical. Functioning Within The System. The pretrial services agency should cooperate with other agencies providing pretrial services, e.g. , diversion programs and community treatment facilities. Only through this cooperation can the system offer nonduplicative services and assure that equal services are provided to all defendants. In addition, it is essential that the pretrial services agency inform the community of the benefits the community receives through the very existence of the agency as well as through increased use of nonfinancial release.