A few months ago, Illinois became the most recent state to make sweeping improvements to its pretrial system. The Pretrial Fairness Act, which went into effect on Sept. 18, addresses a range of pretrial policies and practices, from the first point of contact with law enforcement through case resolution. Tucked into the court's decision was an overlooked — but critical — holding about the meaning of bail that serves as a welcome corrective for a pretrial system that, nationally, has strayed far from its roots in American history and constitutional law.

November 17, 2023

The Ramsey County Board approved spending $2 million to start a pilot project that would change the way the current cash bail system operates.

October 3, 2023

Does the pretrial detention of individuals who are not convicted of crimes undermine the presumption of innocence? Does it conflict with due process protections against punishment before trial? Over the latter half of the 20th century, the Supreme Court’s response to these questions progressed to a resounding no. And yet, as the Court’s decisions enabled an exponential increase in the number of people detained pretrial, for those who are detained, the emptiness of these supposed protections is clear.

Not only does Wisconsin consistently rank among the U.S. states with the highest excessive drinking rates, its high alcohol consumption draws global recognition.

August 3, 2023

Theoretically, the ability to pay bail is supposed to be taken into account, but judges frequently don’t.

August 27, 2023

Bail has become the center of a heated political debate across the US. A 2022 report by the US Commission on Civil Rights found that 60% of defendants wind up in jail awaiting trial because they can’t afford to post bail. A particular target of reform efforts is so-called cash bail.

August 29, 2023

WASHINGTON ― The total correctional population in the United States fell 1% from yearend 2020 to 2021, according to statistics in Correctional Populations in the United States, 2021 – Statistical Tables and Probation and Parole in the United States, 2021, two reports released today by the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The number of persons held in prison or jail or supervised in the community on probation or parole decreased by 61,100, down to an estimated 5,444,900. Overall, an estimated 1 in 48 U.S. residents age 18 or older were under correctional supervision at yearend 2021, down from 1 in 47 in 2020.

February 23, 2023

The Minnesota Judicial Council has approved a new version of the Minnesota Pretrial Release Evaluation Form and Assessment Tool (MNPAT). The updates, made after an extensive validation process, are intended to increase the predictiveness and fairness of the tool judges use to help make pretrial release decisions.

January 27, 2023

The first of five courts planned to address a criminal case backlog in Milwaukee County could open as soon as June, the county's chief judge said this week. The second and third courts likely will open later in the summer, Chief Judge Mary Triggiano told the Community Justice Council. The new courts are the centerpiece of the criminal justice system's plan to clear the pandemic-related backlog using $14.6 million in COVID-19 relief funds.

February 15, 2022

This is a prosecutor-led pretrial diversion program to rehabilitate individuals with misdemeanor or felony offenses who are at low risk of reoffending. The program is rated Effective. There were statistically significant reductions in the rearrest rate, days to rearrest, and cases dismissed for treatment group individuals, compared with comparison group individuals, at the 2-year follow-up.

December 20, 2021

Bowne “Bob” J. Sayner passed away January 13, 2022, at the age of 87. He was loving husband of Mary (Hammes); devoted father of Carmen (Doug) Rideout, Peter (Sue) Sayner, John (Kris) Sayner, and Nick (Shawnta) Sayner. He was proud grandfather of 7 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren and dear brother of Shirlee Goins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Clare and Rachel Sayner. He is further survived by other relatives and friends.

January 27, 2022