Pretrial Reform Project

Wake County has been engaged in a yearlong effort to examine the pretrial criminal justice system as part of the Learning Site project with Advancing Pretrial Policy & Research (APPR). The mission of the project is to build a pretrial system for Wake County that promotes fairness and equity by balancing community safety, concern for victims and the rights and needs of individuals facing criminal charges.

Administrative Order Setting 10th Judicial District Pretrial Release Policy

Senior Resident Superior Court Judge Paul Ridgeway and Chief District Court Judge Ned Mangum have issued an updated Administrative Order Setting 10^th Judicial District Pretrial Release Policy, effective April 1, 2022.

Administrative Order Setting 10^th Judicial District Pretrial Release Policy

Report & Recommendations

The Steering Committee reached consensus on a series of recommended improvements to our pretrial justice system. They include:

Implementation of a Magistrate Card at Initial Appearance
Implementation of the Public Safety Assessment at First Appearance
Increase in Pretrial Support Services
Creation of a Pretrial Jail Status ‘Real-Time’ Dashboard
Adjustments to the Secured Bond Schedule
Representation from the Public Defender’s Office at first appearance hearings

Pretrial Learning Site Steering Committee – Report & Recommendations

Public Safety Assessment

The Public Safety Assessment (PSA) is an actuarial assessment that predicts failure to appear in court pretrial, new criminal arrest while on pretrial release and new violent criminal arrest while on pretrial release.

Pretrial Assessment Research Summary

How the PSA works

Pretrial Risk Assessment Primer

Where the PSA is Used