Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability
Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability

County Pretrial Release Programs: Calendar Year 2017

Report 18-06, November 2018




Report Summary

  • Pretrial release programs supervise defendants who have been released from jail while awaiting disposition of their criminal charges. Twenty-nine programs responded to our survey requesting information regarding their 2017 operations. No programs reported receiving state general revenue, with 29 programs receiving county funds. Five programs reported receiving state or federal grants.
  • Eleven pretrial release programs were able to provide a detailed breakdown of defendants' criminal history information, which varied among programs. For these programs, the percentage of defendants with violent felony criminal histories ranged from 0% to 42%. Programs in 28 counties reported that judges may order defendants to post bond in addition to being supervised by the programs. Programs also reported varying numbers of defendants that failed to appear in court or were arrested while in the programs.
  • Pretrial release programs have generally complied with statutory requirements, as 28 programs reported that they maintained the required weekly register and 28 programs provided OPPAGA with an annual report. Some reporting requirements do not apply to programs that do not make release recommendations. Programs also could not report some criminal history information due to state and federal restrictions.


Related Reports
  1. County Pretrial Release Programs: Calendar Year 2021
    Report 22-09 December 2022
  2. County Pretrial Release Programs: Calendar Year 2020
    Report 21-11 December 2021
  3. County Pretrial Release Programs: Calendar Year 2019
    Report 20-07 December 2020
  4. County Pretrial Release Programs: Calendar Year 2018
    Report 19-17 December 2019
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
Copies of this report in print or alternate accessible format may be obtained by email OPPAGA@oppaga.fl.gov, telephone (850) 488-0021, or mail 111 W. Madison St., Room 312 Tallahassee, FL 32399-1475.
annual report, arrest, bond, bondsmen, charges, Citizens Right-to-Know Act, complying, conducts investigations, criminal history, defendant fees, defendants, electronically monitors and supervises, failure to appear in court, pretrial, pretrial release, pretrial release programs, pretrial release recommendations, release on recognizance, statutory reporting requirements, survey