Advancing Pretrial Policy and Research is pleased to offer a free virtual training on holding dedicated pretrial detention hearings. This workshop will explore the need for such hearings, their role in the pretrial system, and the practical steps for implementing and strengthening them. The session is on Wednesday, November 15, from 1 to 3 p.m. ET. The deadline to register is Wednesday, November 8.
About the Training
The Supreme Court has stated that “In our society liberty is the norm, and detention prior to trial or without trial is the carefully limited exception” (United States v. Salerno, 481 U.S. 739, 755 [1987]). The constitutional guarantees of due process, equal protection, and the presumption of innocence dictate that the strong default presumption should be that people be released while charges are pending.
Courts can depart from that outcome only in a relatively small number of cases, through a fair and transparent process; only with a strong justification for doing so; and only when consistent with state and federal law. To uphold constitutional rights and make informed decisions about who should be detained because of a risk of flight or threat to community safety, a dedicated detention hearing—after someone’s first appearance—is necessary.
This training will provide an introduction to the foundational legal principles and recent court decisions that support detention hearings. It will describe how these hearings fit into a fair, equitable, and effective pretrial system. Participants will also learn about the structural and substantive elements of a meaningful detention hearing. Using a panel discussion, the training will draw on experience from those working in and impacted by the criminal legal system to provide guidance on how to advance policies and practices that help ensure that detention hearings are effective and meaningful.
Learning Objectives
By the end of the training, participants will do the following:
- Understand the constitutional principles and current legal trends that make dedicated detention hearings a best practice
- Identify ways to evaluate whether current policies and practices conform to legal requirements and achieve just outcomes for the community and people entering the system
- Learn strategies for implementing changes in your jurisdiction’s approach to making decisions about pretrial release and detention
- Be familiar with APPR resources and the APPR Community
Training Faculty
The trainers for these sessions have many years of experience working directly in or with jurisdictions to improve their pretrial policies and practices—helping ensure that they are fair, just, and equitable and that they benefit people, systems, and communities.
Matt Alsdorf, associate director, Center for Effective Public Policy
Mr. Alsdorf is a co–project director of APPR. He previously served as the vice president of criminal justice at the Laura and John Arnold Foundation (now Arnold Ventures). Mr. Alsdorf provides assistance to jurisdictions and is responsible for the development of APPR’s pretrial resources.
Jessica Ireland, senior manager, Center for Effective Public Policy
Ms. Ireland has over 20 years of criminal legal system experience at both the state and local levels. She previously served as the program manager for Mecklenburg County Pretrial Services in North Carolina.
Judge Martin Cronin (ret.)
Application Process
If you are interested in attending the training session on Wednesday, November 15, complete the registration application. Space in this training is limited. Please submit your application by Wednesday, November 8.
Participation is limited, and priority consideration will go to people who work in the criminal legal system and to community members—particularly impacted people such as victims/survivors and individuals who have experience in the system. Space is also available for national technical assistance providers.
APPR will make selection decisions immediately after the November 8 registration deadline. Confirmed participants will receive additional information about the training, including how to attend the session and access related resources.
Please direct questions to Samuel Steed, operations assistant at the Center for Effective Public Policy, at ssteed@cepp.com.