Mission To provide judicial officers with information regarding release suitability of eligible arrestees while ensuring public safety.
Pretrial Services (PTS) is a unit of the Oakland County Community Corrections Division established in 1987 with the primary mission of screening the adult pretrial arrestee population for release suitability in accordance with MCR 6.106. PTS provides the court with neutral, non-adversarial, and accurate information at initial court appearance hearings, as well as at any subsequent court appearance where bond and/or conditions of release are being reviewed. It is the goal of the unit to maximize defendant release rates at the earliest possible time after arrest, while minimizing failure to appear and re-arrest rates.
The goal is achieved through a comprehensive screening process. PTS investigators interview adult felony and misdemeanor arrestees (at the Oakland County Jail, local police lockups, or holding areas) in order to:
gather and verify information pertinent to release eligibility including
employment history
educational background
length of residence
criminal history
substance abuse/mental health
conduct a complete computerized record check including District and Circuit Court records, Probate records, Secretary of State, and LEIN
review local law enforcement and court records, including probation and parole information, prior juvenile arrests, as well as any outstanding warrants
The information obtained during the interview is then verified for accuracy. Contact with references, family members, schools, employers, immigration personnel, treatment providers, and others are pursued by the investigators. The verified information is then compiled into a written report which is made available to the judge, defense attorney, prosecutor, and probation officer. This report also contains a recommendation as to the release suitability of the defendant. If a defendant is at risk to fail to appear, or to be involved in pretrial misconduct, conditions of release may be ordered. These conditions may include:
participation in substance abusing testing or counseling
refrain from the use of alcohol and/or drugs
surrendering of a driver's license or passport
maintain or seek employment
do not enter specified premises, or have contact with a specified person
Conditions of pretrial release may require defendants to report to the Pretrial Services Supervision Unit to ensure compliance with those conditions. Violations or non-compliance of release conditions are reported to the court and prosecutor.
In addition to an initial interview, report, and recommendation, PTS also provides a preliminary sentencing guideline score (SGL) to indicate probability of confinement for felony defendants at the time of exam in District Court and/or arraignment at Circuit Court.
Eligibility
Any defendant charged with a felony or misdemeanor offense
Cost
No cost for Pretrial Services, however, the defendant will be responsible for electronic monitoring fees, the cost of drug and/or alcohol testing fees and/or counseling fees, if imposed.
**Further information can be provided by calling 248-452-2155 or 248-655-1276**
