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Pretrial Release Initiative

Pretrial Release Initiative

The Minnesota Judicial Council's Pretrial Release Initiative, one of the Strategic Initiatives of the Branch, is aimed at studying evidence-based tools for use by judges making pretrial release decisions. 

Under Minn. Stat. § 629.74 Minnesota Judicial Council approves pretrial evaluation forms to be used in each county.  Minnesota Judicial Council Policy 524: Pretrial Release Evaluation, adopts the use of a statewide pretrial evaluation form and Minnesota Pretrial Assessment Tool - Revised (MNPAT-R) and directs the use of pretrial risk assessment tools in Minnesota District Courts. 

The assessment tool is meant to ensure that judges have the most predictive and least biased information, providing accurate, objective, and useful information for pretrial release decisions.

The assessment tools will be validated to ensure effectiveness and fairness in release decisions.

The Minnesota Judicial Council established the Pretrial Release Initiative Implementation Steering Committee to implement the statewide pretrial risk assessment tool and form. Implementation was completed in late 2018. Similarly, after the Judicial Council approved the Minnesota Pretrial Assessment Tool-Revised (MNPAT-R), an implementation committee was convened to help with the statewide implementation. Implementation was completed in late 2023.

 

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