BAIL AGENCY/PRE-TRIAL SERVICES

BAIL AGENCY/PRE-TRIAL SERVICES STATISTICS 1999 – 2009

The overall responsibility of the Pre-Trial/Bail Services Unit is to ensure that the community is protected and that all defendants are held accountable to comply with the conditions of bail imposed by either the District Judge court or the Court of Common Pleas.

The Pre-Trial/Bail Services Unit interviews defendants making bail recommendations, collects data, supervises defendants, conducts background checks, drug testing, electronic monitoring of both adult and juvenile offenders, and monitors halfway housing. This office also handles all bail habeas hearings in conjunction with the Court of Common Pleas.

Pre-Trial / Bail Services expanded its services to Protection From Abuse Court. As per court request the Pre-Trial/Bail Services Unit provides an in-depth investigation into a defendant’s background so as to make a bail recom-mendation to the court.

The bail interviewer meets the defendant and information is gathered and verified to fairly assess the defendant’s eligibility under the Court’s bail program. The bail interviewers recommend to the District Judge or a Judge of Court of Common Pleas the amount and type of bail, i.e., Release Own Recognizance (ROR), 10% cash bail and in some cases, nominal bail.

Most bail habeas hearings are now done through the use of the county videoconferencing system, therefore the defendant never leaves the confines of the prison for the hearing or interview. Bail interviewers now have lap top computers to provide the Court with a more accurate interview through a more in-depth and valid probing into the individual’s prior record.

The Pre-Trial Diversionary Program enables appropriate offenders to be diverted from prison back into the community. Selection is based on strict criteria such as type and severity of offense, prior criminal history, detainer and / or open case history. The program has not only reduced prison overcrowding but has provided a substantial savings on those offenders who would otherwise remain incarcerated awaiting trial.

The Pre-Trial program currently has several different components. The Bail Department conducts investigations of appropriate offenders for pre-trial release to ensure that the information presented by the offender is reliable and accurate. The offender is given a drug and alcohol assessment to determine the existence and extent of chemical dependency.

The findings on the offender’s background, chemical dependency screen and legal status are documented and specific recommendations are presented for release. The condition(s) for pre-trial release, such as electronic monitoring, drug testing, outpatient treatment, community service, must be concurred with by the defense attorney, District Attorney, and offender in the form of a court order signed by a Judge.

Pre-Trial / Bail Services Unit continues its efforts to provide the court system with the most recent and valid information by becoming active in the JNET System operating in the state of Pennsylvania.

The years 2004, 2005 saw the continuation of the District Judge/Bail Video Teleconferencing at Folcroft District Court, George W. Hill Correctional Facility, Chester City District Court, and the entire Western District Judge System along with the police departments in Media and Marcus Hook and the Pennsylvania State Police. Teleconferencing equipment was installed in Brookhaven, Upland and Radnor District Courts in 2002. In the year 2003, Bail

Videoconferencing was expanded to Upper Chichester police department. Videoconferencing enables the bail office to interview the individual without personnel leaving the office and allows the District Judge to preliminarily arraign the individual without the individual having to be moved. This greatly reduces the security risk of moving individuals from one area to another area.

Interviews done over the video system enable the Pre-Trial/Bail office to run NCIC on all defendants being interviewed, so as to have a clearer picture on the type of individual this office is interviewing.