Nevada County’s pre-trial release program, that went into full effect about six years ago, has had a low re-arrest rate, according to the most recent numbers. The County’s Chief Probation Officer, Jeff Goldman, says the program is based on the public safety threat of defendants. That includes the likelihood of being arrested, while released, for a violent or other serious crime. Also, their likelihood to fail to appear for the next court date. He says 157 have been released in the last year. And only nine-percent re-offended…

click to listen to Jeff Goldman

The previous year, 106 were released, but Goldman says the decline was partly due to a drop in overall bookings, to reduce COVID outbreaks at the jail. There was also a zero-bail mandate for a couple of months from the state. Meanwhile, Goldman says around 70-percent of jail inmates are still in the pre-trial phase…

click to listen to Jeff Goldman

Goldman says a recent state grant is also helping to keep the program going.