Maryland Crime Research and Innovation Center

Researchers from the Maryland Crime Research and Innovation Center (MCRIC) at the University of Maryland launched a research study to increase understanding of pretrial outcomes in Maryland. Supported by a grant from the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention, Youth, and Victim Services, project findings may help inform jurisdictions’ decision making and efforts to effectively reduce the local detention population while protecting public safety.

Bail is increasingly being recognized as an important focal point for criminal justice reform. The majority of individuals detained pretrial are accused of low-level, nonviolent offenses and pose little threat to public safety. The costs of detaining individuals pretrial are myriad, costing both governments and families upwards of $13.6 billion per year. Information is needed to support efforts in Maryland to effectively reduce the local detention population while protecting public safety.

The research team, which includes Bianca Bersani, Bryan Johnson, Zubin Jelveh, Kiminori Nakamura, and Shuvra Bhattacharyya, will analyze routine patterns of pretrial release in Maryland, including elements such as: overall rates of pretrial detention, average bail amounts, the proportion of defendants held on low cash bail, the proportion of defendants held without bail, and recidivism patterns by pretrial status.

The team will also investigate the use of publicly available court data to help inform decision making pertaining to pre-trial detention and bail. In particular, the team will investigate the application and optimization of machine learning algorithms for pre-trial analysis, utilizing novel machine learning methods that provide risk assessment for sentencing decisions.