We explored the extent to which the implementation of a pretrial risk assessment instrument (PRAI) corresponded to changes in the pretrial processing of defendants using multiple administrative data sources from a large county in the southeastern United States. Our findings revealed little evidence of reductions in detention lengths or increases in the use of nonfinancial forms of release following the tool's adoption. This was largely attributable to the exercise of judicial discretion, as judges frequently departed from the tool's recommendation using alternatives that were more punitive and often included financial conditions—particularly for Black and Latino defendants. Furthermore, the exercise of discretion was linked to increased rates of pretrial failure.

中文翻译：

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实践中的审前风险评估工具：司法自由裁量权在审前改革中的作用

我们使用来自美国东南部一个大县的多个行政数据源，探讨了审前风险评估工具 (PRAI) 的实施在多大程度上与被告审前处理的变化相对应。我们的调查结果显示，在采用该工具后，几乎没有证据表明拘留时间缩短或非金融形式释放的使用增加。这在很大程度上归因于司法自由裁量权的行使，因为法官经常使用更具惩罚性且通常包括财务状况的替代方案背离该工具的建议——尤其是针​​对黑人和拉丁裔被告。此外，行使自由裁量权与审前失败率增加有关。