On August 25th, Californians for Safety and Justice and the Crime and Justice Institute presented the findings of a new report, Pretrial Progress: A Survey of Pretrial Practices and Services in California, to local stakeholders in California. The event also featured a panel of representatives from local criminal justice systems who discussed their accomplishments and challenges in the implementation of pretrial services across the state. The panel featured a diverse array of perspectives, including those of the Honorable Mark Boessenecker of the Superior Court of Napa County; Lieutenant Greg Gonzalez from the Kern County Sheriff’s Department; Garry Herceg, the Director for the Office of Pretrial Services in Santa Clara; Rocklin Police Chief Ron Lawrence representing the California Police Chief’s Association; and Humboldt County Probation Chief Bill Damiano.
Each of the panelists stressed that collaboration across the criminal justice system was instrumental for the implementation of pretrial services. Chief Damiano of Humboldt County credited the Technical Assistance provided by CJI with support from the Public Welfare Foundation as one of the major reasons for the county’s improved pretrial services program, specifically noting CJI’s assistance with the implementation of a risk-based pretrial release tool and the training and education of county judges.