Pretrial Services — Judicial Business 2024

In 38 percent of the cases opened, the major offense was related to immigration, up from 34 percent in 2023. Cases in which the major offense charged involved drugs accounted for 24 percent of pretrial services cases (down from 26 percent last year). Cases associated with property offenses represented 10 percent of cases opened (down from 11 percent in 2023), and cases dealing with firearms offenses represented 12 percent (down 2 percent from 2023). 

Pretrial services officers prepare reports for judges to use in determining whether to order the release or detention of defendants. The reports also give judges information useful for establishing appropriate conditions for released defendants. In 2024, officers prepared 69,416 pretrial services reports (up 2 percent). Ninety-eight percent of the reports were pre-bail reports.

A total of 66,159 bail determinations were made by the courts. When immigration cases involving crimes such as illegal reentry are included, 24 percent of all defendants were released on bail. When immigration cases are excluded, the percentage of defendants released was 34 percent.

A total of 20,572 defendants were received for supervision by pretrial services (down 4 percent). The proportion of defendants in the country illegally continued to affect the number of persons received for supervision, because illegal aliens and defendants charged with immigration offenses are more likely to be detained given their higher risk of failure to appear in court. In 2024, 39 percent of defendants in pretrial services cases were illegal aliens.

For persons under pretrial services supervision, officers monitor compliance with the release conditions set by the courts, provide necessary support services (such as substance abuse treatment and location monitoring), and inform the courts and U.S. attorneys of apparent violations of release conditions. A total of 23,177 defendants were released with specified conditions in 2024. The release condition ordered most often was pretrial services supervision, which was imposed on 87 percent of defendants released, the same as in the past three years, although this condition was imposed on 5 percent fewer defendants this year.

Substance abuse treatment and testing were ordered for 39 percent of defendants, down from 40 percent last year, with 7 percent fewer defendants receiving these services than in 2023. Substance abuse testing alone (without treatment) was ordered for 15 percent of defendants, down 9 percent from the previous year. 

Pretrial diversion is a period of supervision proposed by a U.S. attorney and agreed to by a defendant as an alternative to the prosecution of criminal charges in federal court. Diversion preserves prosecutorial and judicial resources for more serious criminal matters. In 2024, the number of pretrial diversions increased 15 percent to 312.

Over the past five years, the number of pretrial services reports prepared has decreased 10 percent, and the number of persons interviewed has fallen 14 percent to 40,238 (not all defendants are interviewed—defendants may decline to be interviewed, and sometimes interviews are not possible—but for each defendant, a pretrial services report is usually written).

For data on pretrial services activity, see Table 9 and the H series of tables.