Pretrial release judgments and decision fatigue

Group dynamics in forensic pretrial decision-making.

This study examines how forensic evaluators' opinions that pertain to diagnosis, competency to stand trial, and criminal responsibility (Maryland's version of the not guilty by reason of insanity plea) are rendered at a state forensic hospital for defendants pleading not criminally responsible. Pretrial evaluations completed independently by a psychiatrist, a psychologist, and a social worker w...

The Impact of Race on the Pretrial Decision

This study examined the effect of race on the pretrial release decision for drug offenders. Although this decision point has not been examined as extensively as the final sentencing decision, it is a critical discretion point which impacts defendants’ future sentencing outcomes. The results found that race had a significant impact on judges’ decisions to release a defendant on recognizance, wit...

Pretrial Release in the 1990 s : Texas Takes Another Look at Nonfinancial Release Conditions

The conditions under which an individual accused of a crime can remain at liberty prior to the resolution of the criminal charge against him have evolved over time in the American system of criminal justice.' For most of this country's history, pretrial release conditions were almost exclusively defined in financial terms, i.e., the amount of "bail" a defendant or his surety was required to ple...

Unsecured Bonds: the as Effective and Most Efficient Pretrial Release Option

Assessing Risk-Based Policies for Pretrial Release and Split Sentencing in Los Angeles County Jails

Court-mandated downsizing of the CA prison system has led to a redistribution of detainees from prisons to CA county jails, and subsequent jail overcrowding. Using data that is representative of the LA County jail system, we build a mathematical model that tracks the flow of individuals during arraignment, pretrial release or detention, case disposition, jail sentence, and possible recidivism d...