Sacramento Superior Court, Probation Department receives grant money for SB 10 pilot pretrial release program

Cooper voted against legislation   

As part of pretrial release reforms signed into law last year, the Sacramento Superior Court and the County Probation Department announced this morning the Judicial Council of California approved $9.5 million in grant funding. The money will be used to implement the two-year Pretrial Release Pilot Program.   

After then-Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 10 into law, Sacramento Superior Court formed a multi-agency, pretrial release workgroup to develop an implementation plan and for grants pilot program. The Probation Department will use the Public Safety Assessment (PSA) tool for the pre-trial program which is said to be a predictor of returning to court.  

According to the joint press release, PSA will not rely on factors such as race, ethnicity, ability to pay, or geography and will provide recommendations for release to judges enabling them to make determine if there will or will not be bail requirements.  

The first phase of the pilot project will focus on low-level offenses, property and drug crimes.  As the pilot process progresses, systematic improvements to the program will occur. 

Several groups have opposed SB 10 saying it does not offer real reform. Among the critics was the Ameican Civil Liberties Union who said the bill, which was heavily amended during the legislative process in Sacramento, gave to much authority to courts and would not address racial disparities in pretrial release.

On the other side, the California Bail Agents Association opposed SB 10 as a threat to their business model. Along with several Republican and some Democratic legislators including Assemblymember Jim Cooper of Elk Grove, it was argued if suspects were not tied to a bond, they will not show up for trials.   

Below is a list of other counties who have received grant funding. 

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