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ABOUT APPR

APPR Research

RTI International (RTI) was the National Research Partner for APPR from 2019-2024. RTI independently studied the six Research-Action Sites.

About APPR What is the PSA

National Research Partner

RTI’s research agenda included studying the Public Safety Assessment (PSA), an actuarial pretrial assessment, and aimed to understand how changes are made to pretrial systems.

Actuarial pretrial assessments estimate the likelihood that people will appear in court for pretrial hearings and remain arrest-free while on pretrial release. The assessments use large data sets about people who previously came into contact with the justice system to identify factors that make pretrial success more or less likely. Then, the assessments use algorithms to estimate outcomes for similar people in the future.

Research Activities

Understanding Local Context

Change can be driven by different people, processes, and events. It is important to study these “contexts” to understand how change happens and to identify opportunities for improvement. RTI spoke with policymakers and community members in each Research-Action Site to learn who’s involved in changing their pretrial system and how they work together.

PSA Performance

The PSA was developed as a generalized tool using data from approximately 750,000 cases across 300 jurisdictions nationwide. A pretrial assessment with good generalizability means its results are valid for multiple, diverse populations. RTI International (RTI) will study how generalization affects the PSA’s predictive validity and statistical bias when applied to a single jurisdiction. Localizing the PSA has the potential to improve the predictive validity and lessen statistical bias on a site-specific basis.

Read RTI’s analysis plan. For questions about PSA performance or validation, contact Stephen Tueller.

Pretrial Processes & Decision Making

The two outcomes that are considered when making decisions about release before trial are court appearance and community safety. RTI evaluated the effects of different times of pretrial detention on these pretrial outcomes. 

Research Practices

Transparency

RTI made its analysis plan for PSA validation publicly available on the Open Science Framework. For more information about RTI’s APPR research agenda, contact Matthew DeMichele.

APPR Research Plan Contact Matthew

Equity

The Racial & Community Justice Committee ensured that RTI’s research was grounded in a commitment to equity and informed by people directly affected by pretrial systems. Members included people whose voices are often not listened to. It emphasized that researchers must continually learn to avoid perpetuating and intensifying bias.

Racial & Community Justice

Accountability

The advisory board included external experts who reviewed RTI’s research, asked tough questions, and offered new perspectives. These experts are leaders in national conversations about pretrial research, advocacy, and practice. They include people who experienced pretrial incarceration. 

Research Advisory Board