Public Safety Assessment (PSA) Implementation Services

Overview

CEPP assists jurisdictions in implementing the Public Safety Assessment (PSA), a research-based tool that evaluates the likelihood that a person charged with a crime will be arrested on a new offense or fail to appear in court during the pretrial period. Used responsibly, the PSA supports judicial officers in making informed, fair, and consistent pretrial decisions while helping jurisdictions align their supervision strategies and programs to promote pretrial success.

Through its Advancing Pretrial Policy & Research (APPR) initiative, CEPP serves as the manager and a leading provider of the PSA. CEPP is responsible for developing, maintaining, and updating the PSA’s core resources, including the PSA Implementation Guides, the PSA Scoring App, and PSA-specific trainings. CEPP has provided assistance to dozens of jurisdictions nationwide, supporting implementation, training, and quality assurance. Recent engagements include work in Alabama, Arkansas, California, Georgia, Nebraska, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin.

Our Approach

CEPP’s PSA implementation services are grounded in evidence, collaboration, and capacity building. Each engagement is customized to the jurisdiction’s local context and readiness.

Comprehensive Implementation Support
We guide jurisdictions through every phase of PSA implementation—from developing scoring manuals and violent offense lists to establishing release condition matrices and performance measures.

Training and Coaching
Our team works alongside pretrial services staff, judicial officers, and other justice stakeholders—both virtually and on-site—to strengthen understanding of the PSA, promote accuracy in scoring, and cultivate long-term local expertise. Participants gain access to the APPR Learning online workspace, a virtual environment with resources on PSA scoring, release conditions, and pretrial decision-making.

Quality Assurance and Continuous Improvement
As part of its commitment to quality assurance and continuous improvement, CEPP helps jurisdictions strengthen the accuracy and reliability of PSA scoring over time. CEPP has conducted numerous on-site quality assurance audits in California, including in Mariposa, Monterey, and Stanislaus counties, as well as in other jurisdictions nationwide, to review scoring accuracy, support sustainable implementation, and ensure the consistent application of the tool. These efforts, along with refresher trainings for sites that need additional support, help increase fidelity to the PSA and reinforce its value as a reliable aid to pretrial decision-making.

Statewide and Regional Collaboration
CEPP also supports statewide efforts to promote consistent, high-quality PSA implementation. In Monterey County, California, CEPP provided tailored training and technical assistance as part of broader statewide efforts to improve pretrial outcomes. Similarly, in Virginia, CEPP is working with the Department of Criminal Justice Services and local sites to enhance PSA training, refine quality assurance practices, and strengthen data and performance measurement strategies across jurisdictions.

Download our PSA 1-pager to share with your jurisdiction.

The Impact

CEPP’s PSA implementation support has strengthened pretrial practices and outcomes across jurisdictions:

• Informed Decision-Making: Judges and pretrial officers use the PSA as one of several tools to make consistent, evidence-based, and equitable decisions about pretrial release and supervision/monitoring strategies.
• Improved Pretrial Outcomes: Partner counties have seen progress in increasing safe and efficient pretrial release, reducing bias, and lowering failure-to-appear and rearrest rates.
• Capacity Building: Local teams are equipped to sustain high-quality pretrial practices through ongoing training, auditing, and access to CEPP’s online learning platforms.
• Community Well-Being: By helping counties make better-informed pretrial decisions, jurisdictions enhance safety, fairness, and trust in the justice system.

Contact Us
To bring CEPP’s PSA expertise to your jurisdiction, contact Jessica Ireland at jireland@cepp.com.