State legislatures consider and enact laws that address all aspects of pretrial policy, including release eligibility, conditions of release, bail, commercial bail bonding and pretrial diversion. These legislative policies have an important role in providing fair, efficient and safe pretrial practices carried out by law enforcement and the courts. Below you will find a collection of state reports and other useful resources.
Alaska
Alaska Criminal Justice Commission: A Practitioner's Guide to Criminal Justice Reform (Oct. 2018)
Alaska Criminal Justice Commission: Annual Report (2018)
Alaska Criminal Justice Commission: Annual Report (Oct. 2017)
Alaska Criminal Justice Commission: Justice Reinvestment Report (2015)
Arizona
Arizona Supreme Court: Task Force on Fair Justice for All: Court-Ordered Fines, Penalties, Fees, and Pretrial Release Policies Report and Recommendations (2016)
California
California Chief Justice’s Pretrial Detention Reform Workgroup: Recommendations to the Chief Justice
Colorado
Department of Regulatory Agencies: 2011 Sunset Review: Bail Bonding Agents and The Bail Bond Advisory Committee (2011)
Colorado State Public Defender, Colorado Criminal Defense Institute, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers: Colorado Bail Book
Connecticut
General Assembly's Office of Legislative Research: Comparing Professional Bail Bondsmen Laws and Proposals for Surety Bail Bond Agents (2009)
Connecticut Judicial Branch: Task Force to Study the Feasibility of Establishing Opioid Intervention Courts (Jan. 2019)
Florida
Legislature's Office of Program Policy Analysis & Government Accountability: Most Pretrial Release Programs Continue to Comply with Statutory Reporting Requirements (2011)
Georgia
Georgia Council on Criminal Justice Reform: February 2018 Report
Hawaii
Hawaii Legislature: Recommendations of the Hawaii Criminal Pretrial Task Force (Dec. 2018)
Illinois
Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices: Preliminary Report (Dec. 2018)
Supreme Court Commission on Pretrial Practices: Final Report (April 2020)
Office of Lieutenant Governor Juliana Stratton: Annual Report of the Justice, Equity, and Opportunity Initiative (Jan. 2020)
Kansas
Supreme Court Ad Hoc Pretrial Justice Task Force: Resources and Final Report (2018-2020)
Kentucky
Administrative Office of the Courts: Pretrial Services: Pretrial Reform in Kentucky (2013)
Maine
Intergovernmental Pretrial Justice Reform Task Force; Report (2015)
Right to Counsel in Maine: Evaluation of Services Provided by the Main Commission on Indigent Legal Services (April 2019)
Maryland
Maryland Office of the Public Defender: Bail Reviewed – Report of the Court Observation Project (March 2018)
Maryland General Assembly's Office of Policy Analysis, Department of Legislative Services: Bail Bonds System (2012)
Commission to Reform Maryland’s Pretrial System: Final Report (Dec. 2014)
Massachusetts
Special Commission on Bail Reform: Report (Dec. 2019)
Michigan
Michigan Joint Task Force on Jail and Pretrial Incarceration: Report and Recommendations (Jan. 2020)
Nevada
The Supreme Court of Nevada Judicial Counsel’s committee to study evidence-based pretrial release: Final report and the Nevada Pretrial Risk Assessment Instrument (2016)
New Jersey
New Jersey Courts: 2018 Report to the Governor and the Legislature
New Jersey Courts: 2017 Report to the Governor and the Legislature
Joint Committee on Criminal Justice: Report (2014)
Office of the Attorney General: A study of technology for tracking domestic violence offenders, specifically so that victims may be warned of their proximity (2012)
North Carolina
North Carolina Commission on the Administration of Law and Justice: Report of the Criminal Investigation and Adjudication Committee (March 2017)
Ohio
Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission: Addendum to the June 2017 Ad Hoc Committee on Bail and Pretrial Services Final Report & Recommendations (2018)
Ohio Criminal Sentencing Commission: Ad Hoc Committee on Bail and Pretrial Services, Report and Recommendations (2017)
Supreme Court of Ohio Task Force to Examine the Ohio Bail System: Report and Recommendations (July 2019)
Oregon
Multnomah County, Oregon: Mental Health Jail Diversion Feasibility Study (2015)
Oregon Judicial Department: Report to Bail Bonds Work Group on Failure-to-Appear Rates and Collection and Distribution of Security Release Funds (2010)
Oregon Criminal Justice Commission: Effect of Pretrial Detention in Oregon (May 2019)
Texas
Texas Judicial Council: Committee Report and Recommendations (June 2018)
Utah
Office of the Legislative Auditor General: A Performance Audit of Utah's Monetary Bail System (2017)
Utah State Courts: Report to the Utah Judicial Counsel on Pretrial Release and Supervision Practices (2015)
Vermont
Department of State's Attorneys & Sheriffs: Pre-arraignment Alternative Justice Programs in Vermont (2015)
Department of State's Attorneys & Sheriffs: Pre-Arraignment Alternative Justice Programs in Vermont (2014)
Virginia
Virginia State Crime Commission: Pretrial in Virginia (Jan. 2019)
Washington
Performance Audit: Reforming Bail Practices in Washington (Feb. 2019)
Pretrial Reform Task Force: Final Report and Recommendations (Feb. 2019)
Bail Practices Work Group: Report to the Legislature: Recommendations for Improving Washington State Bail Practices (2010)
West Virginia
Legislative Auditor’s Office, Performance Evaluation and Research Division: Regulation at Bail Bonding Industry (August 2012)
Wisconsin
Legislative Council Staff Brief: Study Committee on Bail and Conditions of Pretrial Release (August 2018)