There are many reasons why defendants want to avoid jail. For example: Those who do wait in jail or pretrial detention are 1-4 times more likely to be sentenced to prison. Those retained in jail also tend to make rushed judgments for deals or plead guilty, simply to avoid less time in jail. There is also notable psychological trauma from time in jail; there have been cases where even if the charges are dropped, release from jail can lead someone to commit suicide or other mental health trauma reactions.