Our work is done in partnership with local pretrial practitioners and creates space for honest, challenging conversations. It is grounded in legal principles, research, and data, and centered on a commitment to equal protection under the law. Our team has decades of experience operating large pretrial agencies, providing technical assistance and training, conducting legal analyses, and leading system improvements and communications work.
Our trainings are offered at no cost and cover a broad range of topics addressing pretrial legal principles, research-based practices, data, change management, and more. Learn from experienced pretrial practitioners, researchers, and leaders in the field.
Our large and growing collection of pretrial resources provides practical guidance for studying, planning for, and implementing pretrial improvements. Explore our action-focused resources by by pretrial profession or by topic.
Our team has deep knowledge of how to bring together legal principles and evidence in real-world practice. We’re true partners, helping systems implement improvements that are effective, sustainable, and measurable.
We help pretrial professionals connect with one another. The APPR Community is the largest online forum for people working to advance pretrial justice. Connect, share, and learn in this national forum.
We lead strategic initiatives to provide intensive support to local and state jurisdictions. Our team helps pretrial practitioners and their community partners gain practical knowledge and a data-informed perspective on their pretrial practices.
County, municipal, and tribal jurisdictions selected through a competitive process engage in a 12-month strategic planning process. They evaluate their current system and create an actionable plan to improve pretrial outcomes and enhance community safety. These jurisdictions also explore opportunities to conduct research.
Our Pretrial Professional Network (PPN) are leaders in the pretrial field who want to strengthen their impact and shape the future of pretrial justice nationwide. They’re available to mentor other pretrial professionals, serve as a national resource, and support individual goals while advancing pretrial justice nationwide.
We offer basic training for pretrial services staff whose daily work shapes the administration of pretrial justice. Training helps staff and leaders clarify their roles, strengthen judgment and communication skills, apply consistent and fair pretrial practices, and improve coordination with judges and other system partners.
The Public Safety Assessment (PSA) is the most widely used pretrial assessment in the field. We’re facilitating a team to assess options and develop a plan for a research institution to guide future research and potentially improve the tool. We also maintain and develop PSA resources; help jurisdictions using the PSA; and offer virtual and in-person trainings on PSA implementation, scoring, and fidelity.
We have learned a lot about statewide pretrial improvements from the experiences of Illinois, New Jersey, and New Mexico. We’re working collaboratively with coalitions and other advocates to bridge the gaps among state policymakers, local practitioners, and community members. And we‘re helping jurisdictions create an intentional system of pretrial detention and release consistent with foundational legal principles and best practices.
We seek to achieve fair, just, equitable pretrial practices that positively impact people, systems, and communities. APPR’s mission is to support and engage pretrial professionals and community members in the meaningful delivery of data-informed pretrial justice.
The Center for Effective Public Policy (CEPP) leads all APPR activities. CEPP is a nonprofit organization that addresses issues across the criminal legal system, including parole and probation, justice-involved women, reentry and reintegration, and more.
We’re guided by the following core principles:
Our experts are available to help reporters explain how pretrial systems work and how the media can hold leaders accountable for results.
Use our resources to go beyond reporting on “money bond,” and provide your audiences with more explanation and analysis to understand the difference between claims and evidence.
APPR piloted new models of technical assistance to pretrial professionals across the country. We also worked with rural pretrial professionals and helped early adopters of the Public Safety Assessment through targeted training and assistance. Read about our record of pretrial improvement.