About Us

Our Mission

The Pennsylvania Pretrial Services Association has been organized to educate practitioners and the general public about pretrial services, to promote and disseminate research and act as a forum for new ideas in pretrial services, to provide technical assistance in establishing new Pretrial Services Agencies, and overall, to promote the establishment of professional pretrial services throughout the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, all of which benefit defendants, victims, witnesses, other criminal justice agencies, and the general public.

Bail Must be…

“In our society liberty is the norm, and detention prior to trial or without trial is the carefully limited exception.”

Chief Justice Rehnquist
United States v. Salerno, 1987

The Need For Pretrial Reform In Pennsylvania

The founders of the Association saw a need to plan a strategy for addressing jail overcrowding, and to demonstrate the effect that Pretrial Release and Pretrial Diversion programs could have on the quality of justice in Pennsylvania. Collectively, the expertise of the board members was brought together to address issues that directly affect the delivery and expansion of pretrial-release services in the state.

Our Membership

Allegheny County Pretrial Services

Armstrong County Probation Department

Bucks County Adult Probation/Parole Dept.

Center for Alternatives in Community Justice

Union County Probation

York County Probation

Northampton County Pretrial

Chester County Bail and Pretrial Services Agency

Connections Works/Pretrial Services

Huntingdon County Pretrial Services

Dauphin County Pretrial Services

Erie County Department of Corrections

Lancaster County Bail Admin

Franklin County Adult Probation, Pre-trial Unit

Lehigh Valley Pretrial Services, Inc.

First Judicial District of PA Pretrial Services Division

Pretrial Services of Montgomery County