The Pretrial Services subcommittee of the Community Justice Council began in July 2014. A team of Dane County criminal justice stakeholders attended the Pretrial Justice Policy Forum in Washington, D.C. earlier in 2014 and created a recommendation and timelines for the implementation of innovative pretrial practices. The pretrial subcommittee emphasizes the importance of evidence-based decision-making and the usage of data and research in the criminal justice system. These practices can lead to a decrease in the use of pretrial detention by using a validated assessment tool in conjunction with judicial discretion to keep low-risk offenders in the community while awaiting trial.
