The Government Relations and Research department of a surety company operating in Florida, has reported the following in regard to one Florida county's elimination of their government-operated pre-trial release program.

SB 782 (Thrasher) and HB 445 (Dorworth) put modest limits on who is eligible for government funded pretrial release (PTR) programs. Opponents of this bill have said that these limits would increase the county jail population. This is not true.

Due to budget constraints, in 2007 Pasco County completely eliminated its government run PTR program, saving taxpayers $348,000 per year. In 2008, the county’s jail population increase was a negligible 5 bed days per year (an increase from 1,262 to 1,267)…a less than 0.4% increase.

However, when considering the population growth of the county during that same time, there was a net decrease of 2.2% in per capita bed days. Per capita occupancy went DOWN, not up!

“Due to budget cuts, we completely cut out the pretrial release program in Pasco County.  As a result, we saved taxpayers nearly $350,000 last year and haven’t seen any noticeable change in our jail population.  I have had great success in doing away with the pretrial release program.”

“We have had great success with the Pre-trial Program being eliminated in Pasco County.”

The complete elimination of the taxpayer financed pretrial release program in Pasco County had no significant impact on jail population. If any impact must be drawn, one could conclude that eliminating the program actually reduced the per capita jail population while saving taxpayers nearly $348,000  per year.

     Victory is at hand for 

    Virginia's Bail Agents

Click here to read of legislative success for your

fellow bail agents in Virginia.

1.   The Citizens' Right-to-Know Act/ Pretrial Release

The act requires each pretrial release program to

Prepare a register displaying information relevant to

the defendants released through such a program.

It requires that a copy ofthe register be located at

the office of the clerk of the   circuit court in the

county where the program is located and readily

accessible to the public.  Provides Requirements

for the form of bail or bond required for release

from detention, etc. 

EFFECTIVE DATE:   07/01/2008

For more information click here.

2. Redirection of Pre-Trial Release Services

FSAA member Sal Rivas, Ph.D. and Diana Wilson, Ph.D.
 have submitted an article to FSAA for inclusion in the
next FSAANews.  The subject matter deserves to
be available to the public before the next FSAANews
is on the street.  This article proposes changes to
pre-trial release programs in Miami-Dade County,
Florida to improve public safety and reduce
government spending.

Click here to read the article.

3.   The Bureau of Justice Report

A Special Report titled “Pre-Trial Release of Felony
Defendants in State Courts (State Courts

Processing Statistics 1990 – 2004)” has just

been released.  This report is positive

towards the bail industry and you are
encouraged to read it.

Click here

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