Evidence-Based Pretrial Release
Adopted for the 2012–2013 term, this COSCA policy paper makes the case for replacing traditional money bail systems with evidence-based risk assessments to determine pretrial release. The paper highlights how reliance on financial conditions disproportionately impacts low-income and minority defendants while failing to protect public safety. Drawing from decades of research and successful models in jurisdictions like Kentucky and Washington, D.C., the paper urges courts to lead the shift toward fair, effective, and data-driven pretrial practices that prioritize public safety and due process.