Pretrial Services provides two services to the local criminal justice system in an effort to keep jail costs down while maintaining public safety:
- Providing information to the Courts about defendants who have been arrested in Delta County and are charged with crimes; and
- Supervising approved defendants, released before trial, as a condition of a personal recognizance bond.
The objectives of the information gathering component of the program are to provide accurate and timely information and appropriate bond recommendations for pretrial defendants to the County Court Judge, District Attorney’s Office, and the Public Defender’s Office for bond decisions. Setting the appropriate bond for each defendant ensures public safety, helps control the pretrial population in the jail, and provides fairness to the defendant.
The objectives of the pretrial supervision component of the program are to assist defendants in making all their required court appearances and to ensure they comply with any bond conditions. This is designed to reduce the “failure to appear rate” in court and to assist defendants with questions they have about the process, conditions of their bond, and their compliance with those conditions.
The Pretrial Services administration and staff are committed to the highest levels of ethical and professional conduct. The credibility of the program is imperative, and the staff are committed to maintaining its established credibility. The Program will strive for innovation and leadership within the local criminal justice community, while maintaining a cost effective program.