Pretrial Program

gavel, graphs, calculator, and magnifying glass

Overview

The goal of pretrial programming is to develop and implement policies and operational procedures that:

  • Follow legal and evidence-based practices;
  • Promote public safety;
  • Maximize court appearance rates; and
  • Maximize the use of pretrial release.

Below are state and national resources for counties interested in learning more about the research supporting pretrial programming, including the use of an actuarial pretrial risk assessment tool, such as the Public Safety Assessment (PSA). A list of counties with pretrial programming is also included below.

For more information or to update information on this page, please contact Heather Kierzek in the Office of Court Operations at (608) 266-3121 or Heather.Kierzek@wicourts.gov. Pretrial programs operate at the county level. Defendants should contact their attorney for further information.

Pretrial Pilot Program

The Pretrial Pilot Program was created by the Evidence-Based Decision Making (EBDM) subcommittee of the Wisconsin Criminal Justice Coordinating Council (CJCC). There are seven counties participating in the pilot. The Pretrial Pilot Program is focused on transitioning to a risk-informed system that promotes public safety while reducing reliance on cash bond and pretrial detention.

Pretrial Pilot Program Site Coordinators developed resources to assist counties with implementation of the PSA, including an operational guide and a data collection and program evaluation guide. Links to both of these documents can be found in the Wisconsin Pretrial resources section of this page.

Pretrial training modules

Training module resources

Wisconsin Pretrial Newsletters

Wisconsin Pretrial resources

National Pretrial resources

Wisconsin Pretrial Programs

(*denotes current/former Pretrial Pilot Program site)
Wisconsin Pretrial Programs