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Pretrial

Helping stakeholders improve pretrial systems

Today’s pretrial systems strive to promote public safety. But stakeholders lack core data to assess whether systems are meeting their goals—and if not, how to reach them. Our empirical data—like court appearance rates and jail booking profiles—give stakeholders a clear view of their systems. Our model tools help them help them craft solutions. And our in-depth evaluations help underscore the impact of stakeholder efforts.

Read our research, explore our projects, and use our model tools—we’re here to help.

82% of 2021 NC criminal charges were for non-violent misdemeanors.
infographic illustrating that the #1 reason for jail admission in examined NC counties is failure to appear on misdemeanor.
Less than 1% of incidents pick up new violent pretrial felony charges.

Explore our Measuring Justice Dashboard to uncover patterns, evaluate your county, and drill down on specific areas.

Research

Start out strong

The first step in any effort: understand the problem. Our legal and empirical research helps unpack the system’s complexities. Our work organizes data, pinpoints opportunities, and summarizes end results—because the more you know about an issue, the more effectively you can solve it.

What Jail Data Analysis Can Tell You About Your Local System
Video
Pretrial Preventative Detention

Collection
Research on the Effectiveness of Pretrial Support and Supervision Services: A Guide for Pretrial Services Programs
Report

Pilot Projects

Find what’s working

Right now in North Carolina, we’re helping stakeholders—including law enforcement leaders, court officials, county leaders, and others—develop and implement effective reforms. Our work informs policy choices, helping stakeholders innovate solutions and evaluate outcomes. Explore these projects to see what’s possible.

North Carolina Court Appearance Project

Collection
North Carolina Judicial District 21 Bail Project

Collection
Bail Reform in North Carolina Judicial District 2: Final Evaluation Report
Report

Ready-to-Use Roadmaps

Get up and running

Our legal and evidence-based tools—forms, flowcharts, templates, implementation plans, and more—help you tailor your approach to your community. Whether you need a single court appearance tool or a comprehensive model bail policy, we have the roadmaps to support you.

Court Appearance Toolbox

Website
Model North Carolina Bail Policy

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Magistrate Bail Decision-Making Tools: 10 Tips for Development & Implementation
Tip Sheet

Explore the pretrial toolbox

Find what you need—or discover new pathways—by drawing from our extensive collection of reports, projects, research, data dashboards, and much more. 

“[H]aving more information in making a change in any kind of policy is crucial to getting it right. [The Lab] brings the ability to get those numbers for you, and you decide what kind of policy you want. [They don’t] come down and tell you what to do. [They tell] you what your numbers are, and what the proposals are, and what can happen.”

Wayland Sermons Jr., Senior Resident Superior Court Judge for the Second Judicial District