After five‑year project Thurston County launches pretrial data dashboard, keeps quarterly oversight

Thurston County judges and criminal‑justice stakeholders reported to the Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 19, 2025 that a five‑year pretrial policy and research project has produced an interactive data dashboard, implementation of a validated public safety assessment and a plan to continue quarterly oversight.

Judge Chris Schaller, who led the project’s advisory group, said Thurston County began the technical‑assistance project in July 2019 with funding and support from national partners. The effort included a multi‑agency advisory committee composed of judges, the prosecuting attorney’s office, public defense, pretrial services, law enforcement and county officials; that committee stayed intact through the project. "We were one of a very few research action sites that were selected for this project," Judge Schaller said.

Presenters said the project mapped the pretrial system, created communications protocols, improved first‑appearance procedures, and implemented the Public Safety Assessment (PSA), a validated tool that provides risk information used at initial hearings.…