Project

Provision of Technical Assistance and Training Related to Pretrial Public Safety Assessments

Overview

The Superior Court of California engaged CEPP to review Stanislaus County’s Public Safety Assessment (PSA) implementation practices and help carry out improvements that promote the safe, efficient, fair, and timely pretrial release of individuals as outlined in California Senate Bill 129 (SB129).

Our Approach

To help Stanislaus County implement improvements to its pretrial services and practices—specifically, to expand its pretrial services program—in alignment with the goals of SB129, CEPP:

  • Provided system stakeholders with technical assistance and training on pretrial law, research, and the PSA
  • Trained assessors on how to score the PSA
  • Coached and trained criminal justice partners on pretrial services, supervision practices, and program improvements

CEPP facilitated and led the Superior Court of California and the Stanislaus County Probation Department through a collaborative process to review the Pretrial Assessment Report and approve new policies and practices related to the pretrial program and the PSA. This collaborative process allowed Stanislaus County to make informed decisions about how to best serve people in the pretrial system as well as system staff. For example, Stanislaus County began convening an inclusive policy team that is working collaboratively to implement practices that promote the safe, fair, and timely pretrial release of people booked into jail and to expand pretrial services. This will help ensure the expansion of the pretrial program is deliberate, efficient, and effective.

The Impact

Stanislaus County is making smarter, more intentional pretrial decisions and building stronger pretrial programs with support from CEPP by centering the idea that detaining people who do not pose a danger to the community does not make the community safer. Stanislaus County has explored legal- and evidence-based practices in pretrial justice and the use of the PSA within broader pretrial decision making to identify the right pretrial services and supervision practices for the community.