Bill Overview
Title: Pretrial Release Reporting Act
Description: This bill requires the Bureau of Justice Statistics to submit a report to Congress on individuals who are granted bail or pretrial release from state courts and are charged with violent felony offenses (e.g., murder or rape).
Sponsors: Sen. Johnson, Ron [R-WI]
Target Audience
Population: People in the US granted pretrial release for violent felonies
Estimated Size: 30000
- The bill primarily affects individuals who are granted bail or pretrial release from state courts while facing charges for violent felony offenses.
- This includes both the individuals on pretrial release and the broader community, as the data collected could influence future legal or procedural changes.
- Statistics and data collected as a result of the bill's implementation might impact policymakers, researchers, law enforcement agencies, and the judicial system itself.
- Indirectly, victims and communities may be impacted if changes in pretrial release practices affect their safety and wellbeing.
Reasoning
- The bill will primarily impact individuals with violent felony charges granted pretrial release, but this is a small subset of the overall population.
- Budget constraints limit direct influence since the policy focuses on data collection and reporting, with indirect benefits such as informing policy changes.
- Conversations with a variety of stakeholders—from those directly affected, like individuals on pretrial release, to community members—can provide insight into potential impacts.
- Given the constraint, the policy might only marginally influence the well-being of those directly affected, with broader community benefits stemming from potential future changes informed by the data.
Simulated Interviews
Construction Worker (Chicago, IL)
Age: 35 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Worried about potential bias in future court decisions based on report findings.
- Hopes the report leads to fairer bail practices.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Social Worker (New York, NY)
Age: 29 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Supportive of data collection if it leads to improved community safety.
- Concerned about personal data security for those released pretrial.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Police Officer (Houston, TX)
Age: 42 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Hopes the reported data will aid in risk assessment for pretrial releases.
- Cautious about additional workload for police departments.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Judge (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 53 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Believes data will facilitate more informed judicial decisions.
- Concerned about potential impact on judicial discretion.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Research Analyst (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 37 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 20.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Sees potential for policy-driven research to improve bail system.
- Concerned about the accuracy and completeness of data to be collected.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 10 | 8 |
Community Activist (Miami, FL)
Age: 61 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Optimistic that the policy will highlight issues with current pretrial release practices.
- Worried about a delay in seeing tangible policy changes.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Paralegal (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Concerned the findings will be used to justify harsher bail conditions.
- Wants the data to ensure fair treatment of clients.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Public Defender (Denver, CO)
Age: 48 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 15.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Sees an opportunity for systemic improvements through transparency.
- Concerns on how the report might affect efforts for bail reform.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Law Professor (Seattle, WA)
Age: 33 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Believes the impact will be felt in how courts evaluate risk.
- Worried about potential negative consequences of misinterpreted data.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 9 | 8 |
Business Owner (Atlanta, GA)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Interested in data potentially leading to reduced crime rates.
- Sceptical of how quickly policy impacts will manifest.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 6 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $3000000 (Low: $2500000, High: $4000000)
Year 2: $1500000 (Low: $1200000, High: $1800000)
Year 3: $500000 (Low: $400000, High: $700000)
Year 5: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The primary costs stem from setting up and maintaining a comprehensive reporting system across all state courts.
- Potential legal or procedural changes influenced by the report may carry further, unquantified costs.
- Coordination between federal and state entities may present implementation challenges.