Because the defendant's income and assets are difficult to verify, they may become issues of contention and may jeopardize the ability of the agency to collect and verify other information. In many instances the fact of employment is relevant to the release issue while the amount of income is not. Reduced credibility with the system is too great a price to pay for the degree of assistance this procedure offers to the court. Cooperation With Other Agencies. The pretrial services agency's efforts are but some of the factors affecting the period prior to adjudication of a defendant's case.
Many defendants have charges pending in more than one jurisdiction.
In such instances, the pretrial services agency should establish agreements with other pretrial services organizations to permit cross-jurisdictional supervision of defendants. These kinds of inter-agency compacts can mean the difference between detention and release for a defendant. In addition, the compact should include the potential for exchange of information on a regular basis. This information should be non-confidential, and may pertain either to specific defendants or to general agency operations and services.