Release Assessment

CJA administers New York City’s release assessment to nearly every individual arrested and held for arraignment. The assessment evaluates the likelihood that an individual released before trial will return for court appearances. Using extensive New York City data, with independent experts and extensive feedback from court actors and the community, CJA has updated the release assessment to provide judges a more fair and accurate pretrial decision making aid.

See How The Release Assessment Is Calculated

This interactive tool shows the eight factors used in the Release Assessment, factor by factor. Read the reasoning behind each factor, how each factor is scored, and how the final score guides the release recommendation.

This online version of the Release Assessment is for illustrative purposes only. Scores on the official Release Assessment administered for the courts may differ.

Explore the assessment
This Release Assessment and its scoring rubric apply in most cases for which an interview is conducted. In some situations, particular criminal charges, histories, and other factors may impact this process. In those cases, CJA may not make a recommendation or may not conduct an interview.

Related Content

Publications
Brief No. 44: Pretrial Release Without Money
Aubrey Fox and Stephen Koppel
March 1, 2019
CJA
RA Court Forms
The CJA Interview Form and the Bench Card show how the Release Assessment is administered and how the results are used in court
November 7, 2019
CJA
RA In Practice
November 8, 2019