In 2022, Dane County established the independent Pretrial Services Department (PTS) to reduce overreliance on pretrial incarceration and cash bail.
The GPL began providing technical assistance to Dane County Pretrial as a part of our 2024 Pretrial Initiative. Through the Initiative, the GPL helps Dane County Pretrial improve data collection and analysis processes and helps to ensure judges are positioned to make data-informed, right-sized pretrial supervision decisions.
How the GPL is Supporting:
Conducting a program evaluation to understand pretrial performance metrics, specifically testing whether Dane County Pretrial conditions are being used effectively to reduce excessive supervision of residents awaiting trial.
Recommending improvements to key performance indicators to assist with pretrial client success and reducing overreliance on overly restrictive supervision tactics.
Developing data tools for judges to review in their pretrial decisions.
Dane County Pretrial Services is committed to working with judges and pretrial staff to reduce an overreliance on pretrial incarceration and cash bail. This support from the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab will help us improve the way we collect and analyze data and ensure judges have the information they need to appropriately assign pretrial supervision conditions and use our resources more effectively.Shannon Pierce
Director, Dane County Pretrial Services
Dane County Pretrial Services is committed to working with judges and pretrial staff to reduce an overreliance on pretrial incarceration and cash bail. This support from the Harvard Kennedy School Government Performance Lab will help us improve the way we collect and analyze data and ensure judges have the information they need to appropriately assign pretrial supervision conditions and use our resources more effectively.Shannon Pierce