APPR will host seven workshops at the National Association of Pretrial Services Agencies (NAPSA) 2026 Annual Conference and Training Institute, held in Reno from Sunday, August 30, to Wednesday, September 2, 2026. Learn more about this year’s conference and join us for the workshops described below.
APPR Workshops at NAPSA 2026 Conference
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- Grounded in Law, Guided in Practice: Strengthening Daily Pretrial Work
- Equity in Practice: Moving from Disparity Awareness to Operational Change
- From Silos to Teamwork: Operationalizing Collaboration in Pretrial Justice
- Crisis Communication for Pretrial Systems
- Leading from the Middle: Strategies for Developing Staff and Future Leaders
- From Impact to Influence: Telling the Story of Your Pretrial Success
- From Principles to Practice: Advancing Pretrial Justice with Limited Resources
Monday, August 31
Grounded in Law, Guided in Practice: Strengthening Daily Pretrial Work
Pretrial practice is grounded in core legal principles, including the presumption of innocence, due process, individualized decision-making, and the goal of maximizing release. However, practitioners often work within policies, structures, and daily routines that may not fully align with these principles. This workshop emphasizes what practitioners can control in their daily work to remain consistent with pretrial’s constitutional commitments. Participants will examine how interviews, report writing, language choices, and supervision responses can either support or challenge these core principles. Through real-world examples and guided reflection, attendees will learn practical strategies to ensure their daily practices uphold the legal foundations of pretrial, despite system limitations.
Presenters
Matt Alsdorf, associate director, Center for Effective Public Policy
Tanya Anderson, associate director, Center for Effective Public Policy
Equity in Practice: Moving from Disparity Awareness to Operational Change
Understanding whether disparities exist in pretrial decision-making requires more than reviewing surface-level statistics. This session introduces a structured approach for examining pretrial data to identify potential disparities in release recommendations, supervision practices, and case outcomes. Participants will learn how to disaggregate and interpret data in ways that will inform leaders of potential inequities. The session will then guide attendees through structured examples demonstrating how identified disparities can inform policy review, recommendation practices, and internal continuous quality improvement efforts. Emphasis will be placed on translating data findings into concrete, operational strategies that promote fairness, transparency, and consistency across diverse jurisdictions.
Presenters
Troy Hatfield, senior manager, Center for Effective Public Policy
Orleny Rojas, senior manager, Center for Effective Public Policy
Undrea “Gem” Jones, justice policy consultant, Center for Effective Public Policy
From Silos to Teamwork: Operationalizing Collaboration in Pretrial Justice
Collaboration is essential to successful pretrial systems—yet it is especially challenging within adversarial, independently governed court structures. Communication, relationship building, trust, and patience are key elements. This workshop goes beyond identifying those elements to focus on how pretrial leaders operationalize them in real-world settings. Participants will examine practical, field-tested strategies for fostering collaboration with judges, prosecutors, defenders, behavioral health providers, community partners, and elected officials—even when authority is diffuse and stakeholder priorities diverge.
Presenters
Tanya Anderson, associate director, Center for Effective Public Policy
Orleny Rojas, senior manager, Center for Effective Public Policy
Tuesday, September 1
Crisis Communication for Pretrial Systems
By the very nature of their work, criminal legal professionals are in the risk management business. No amount of research, experience, or foresight can consistently and without failure anticipate how others will behave in the future. Crisis communication planning will help proactive professionals plan for unexpected, unfortunate, and potentially tragic events. This workshop will outline a process for cross-agency teams to identify what qualifies as a “critical incident” and prepare guidelines for responding to the media, the general public, and employees of their system agencies. A sample crisis communication plan will be shared along with a checklist for managing media during a crisis.
Presenters
Holly Ziemer, communications director, Center for Effective Public Policy
Spike Bradford, communications manager, Center for Effective Public Policy
Leading from the Middle: Strategies for Developing Staff and Future Leaders
Pretrial supervisors play a pivotal role in shaping officer performance, professional judgment, and public safety outcomes. Positioned between executive leadership and frontline staff, middle managers influence how pretrial officers apply evidence-based practices, assess risk, communicate with the court, and engage individuals in the earliest stage of the justice process. Participants will learn practical methods to strengthen officer skills, provide meaningful feedback, and create clear pathways for professional growth within pretrial services. Whether supervising veterans or onboarding new officers, attendees will leave with actionable tools to lead effectively from the middle.
Presenters
Troy Hatfield, senior manager, Center for Effective Public Policy
From Impact to Influence: Telling the Story of Your Pretrial Success
Pretrial agencies achieve measurable results every day, yet too often their impact goes unrecognized. This workshop helps agencies move from internal success to external influence. Participants will learn why strategic storytelling matters, how to translate data and operational achievements into a compelling agency narrative, and practical ways to communicate results to judges, policymakers, funders, and community partners to strengthen credibility and sustain support.
Presenters
Matt Alsdorf, associate director, Center for Effective Public Policy
Spike Bradford, communications manager, Center for Effective Public Policy
Michael Beltran, justice policy consultant, Center for Effective Public Policy
From Principles to Practice: Advancing Pretrial Justice with Limited Resources
Pretrial leaders nationwide are committed to advancing constitutional, evidence-based practices rooted in fairness, individualized decision-making, equity, and community safety. Yet many operate in environments where funding is limited, behavioral health services are scarce, staffing is unstable, rural geography creates access barriers, or statutory reforms have outpaced system infrastructure. Through scenario-based discussion, peer exchange, and practical tools, participants will leave with concrete strategies to advance pretrial justice — even when resources are limited.
Presenters
Lakisha Fisher, senior manager, Center for Effective Public Policy
Orleny Rojas, senior manager, Center for Effective Public Policy