United States Pretrial Services Agency

Eastern District of Michigan

Pretrial Release

Pretrial Release is a way to monitor the activities and behavior of people released on bail to the community by the federal courts. The main goals of supervision are to enforce/monitor the court's pretrial release orders, protect the community, and ensure appearance at all Court hearings.

Persons on pretrial supervision are assigned a designated pretrial services officer at the start of their term of pretrial supervision. The pretrial services officer works with people on supervision by informing them of what the court expects of them, meeting with them in the office, at home and/or work, monitoring their compliance with the conditions the court has set for their pretrial release, provides community resources, gives reminders of future court dates, assists in navigating people through the judicial system, and promotes prosocial change. There are many potential consequences if someone fails to appear for a court hearing or follow the pretrial release conditions imposed. A defendant could be prosecuted for contempt of court, prosecuted separately for failure to appear, the pretrial release order could be revoked or amended, and the security pledged for compliance may be forfeited, and more.

Pretrial release conditions vary from case to case; however, people on federal pretrial supervision are prohibited from possessing guns or other weapons, prohibited from possessing or using illicit drugs, and prohibited from committing any new crimes. In many cases, bond conditions will restrict travel, restrict associations with certain persons, and impose drug and alcohol testing. Mental health treatment, substance abuse treatment, and location monitoring are also common conditions of release.