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Board urges mayor to convene roundtable on pretrial services as state bail rules change
Summary
Supervisors voted to urge the mayor to convene stakeholders to design a San Francisco pretrial services model consistent with recent state legislation; the resolution notes the city's long history with an independent pretrial agency and passed as amended.
The Board of Supervisors on Dec. 11 adopted a resolution urging the mayor to convene a roundtable of stakeholders to recommend a San Francisco pretrial services model consistent with statewide bail reform.
Supervisor Aaron Peskin led the measure and proposed non‑substantive amendments to reflect recent state action that grants the city time to transition arrangements for pretrial services. Peskin and other speakers described San Francisco Pretrial Diversion Project as an independent nonprofit that has provided pretrial case management and supervision for decades and argued that maintaining continuity and independence merits careful planning as the state implements changes.
Multiple representatives of the San Francisco Pretrial Diversion Project and allied organizations addressed the board during public comment. David Moroff, identified in testimony as the pretrial agency CEO, said the agency has doubled staff and expanded services since the board's recent investment and asked the board to preserve the agency's current structure while a planning process proceeds. Other speakers included Nancy Rubin (former interim CEO), Kate Monaco Klein (board member) and Gerald White (court liaison). Services and performance data were cited in support: speakers said the program's return‑to‑court and recidivism outcomes compared favorably with national models.
Supervisor Peskin said he would add a whereas clause referencing a state bill (as cited in the meeting) that grants San Francisco the ability to contract with an existing nonprofit performing pretrial services to provide continuity during transition. The board adopted the resolution with Peskin's amendments without objection.
Why it matters: State bail reform raises jurisdictional questions about how pretrial assessment, supervision and release services are organized. San Francisco's pretrial agency has operated independently for decades; the resolution urges a locally‑led planning process to preserve successful practices while complying with new state rules.
Next steps: The resolution asks the mayor's office to convene a stakeholder roundtable to evaluate and recommend an appropriate pretrial model for San Francisco. Departments and the current pretrial agency are expected to participate in the planning process.
