Bond Reform Project

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2016

Nationally, pretrial detainees account for more than 60 percent of the inmate population in jails. Research has shown that requiring defendants to post money does not increase their likelihood to appear in court, yet many of these detainees remain in custody because they cannot afford to post bail. Research demonstrates that future outcomes are improved for defendants who are safely released from jail while awaiting trial. By remaining in the community, defendants can retain employment and housing, pay child support, seek mental health or substance abuse treatment, and retain strong community ties. In response to the growing national movement for criminal justice reform, and in collaboration with the 20th Judicial District, Boulder County Community Justice Services (CJS) implemented the Bond Reform Project (BRP) in early 2011. The goal of the BRP is to promote pretrial justice while maintaining community safety. The BRP reduces the role of monetary conditions of pretrial release through effective risk assessment and community-based supervision of individuals involved in the criminal justice system. In partnership with system stakeholders and with broad participation by staff, CJS has implemented a risk assessment and supervision process that analyzes key predictors of pretrial success, and tailored programming to address risks of recidivism and failure to appear in court during the pretrial period. In 2015, CJS conducted a study to validate the effectiveness of this approach.