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Pretrial justice systems seek to maximize court appearance and community well-being and safety. In fact, these are the only two outcomes that can legally be considered when deciding to release or detain a person during the pretrial phase.

Fair, just, and effective pretrial justice systems strive to implement practices that help people succeed while on pretrial release. To do this, it’s essential to understand the effectiveness of common pretrial practices based on current research. APPR has developed a number of pretrial research summaries to meet this need.

Read the resources that follow as you start assessing your jurisdiction’s policies and practices. Consider the summaries as you reflect on your local goals and values. Identify topics to explore more deeply. And consider the implications of what you learn on future pretrial advancements.

Available pretrial research summaries:

Sign up with APPR to find out when we post additional research summaries.


Footnote

APPR conducted comprehensive research using publicly available information to prepare these summaries. It is possible the search did not identify every relevant resource, and it is likely that new research will shed additional light on these important topics, particularly with regard to the extent that one strategy—like financial conditions, drug testing, or location monitoring—in isolation of others impacts specific pretrial outcomes. APPR will continue to monitor the research and update these research summaries as new learning emerges.