Montana Courts refresher trains judges, attorneys and case managers on PSA use, data and pretrial best practices

Helena — Montana Courts and the Office of Court Administrator convened a statewide refresher session on the Public Safety Assessment (PSA) and pretrial practices to update judges, prosecutors, public defenders and case managers on current research, data and operational guidance.

“Across the country…we have 3 main goals of pretrial decision making,” trainer Dr. Mike Jones told participants, summarizing the framework as the three “M”s: “maximize court appearance,” “maximize public safety and law‑abiding behavior” and “maximize pretrial release and liberty and minimize detention.”

The training outlined Montana outcomes from a weighted sample of five counties: roughly 76% average court‑appearance, about 68% arrest‑free during pretrial release and an approximate 70% pretrial release rate. Jones said most new arrests while on pretrial release were nonviolent, and he urged decision‑makers to accelerate release decisions when appropriate because research indicates even brief detention can…