SUPERIOR COURT OF LOS ANGELES COUNTY RELEASES NEW REPORT SHOWING PRE-ARRAIGNMENT RELEASE PROTOCOL REMAINED EFFECTIVE ONE YEAR AFTER IMPLEMENTATION

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New Individualized Risk Determinations System Continues to Protect Public Safety More Effectively Than Prior Money Bail System
The Superior Court of Los Angeles County released a new report showing that one year after the implementation of the Pre-Arraignment Release Protocols (PARP) public safety has strengthened, with the majority of high-risk individuals assessed by a magistrate judge temporarily held and low-risk individuals released prior to arraignment in court, Presiding Judge Sergio C. Tapia II announced today.
“One year after implementing the Pre-Arraignment Release Protocols, the data remains clear: having judges conduct individualized risk assessments for release decisions rather than relying on an arrested individual’s ability to pay money bail has improved public safety,” Presiding Judge Tapia said. “Under PARP, most individuals arrested for non-serious and non-violent crimes who pose a risk to public safety are temporarily held until arraignment. Under the previous money bail system, high-risk individuals could secure their release from jail by paying money bail. Conversely, the majority of individuals assessed as being at low risk of reoffending or failing to appear in court are released. PARP better aligns with the constitutional purposes of bail.”

PARP: One Year After Implementation

  • Public Safety Has Improved Under PARP. The Protocols allows for increased pre-arraignment releases for non-serious, non-violent crimes and misdemeanors. The rise in releases has coincided with a decrease in the risk of reoffending, leading to an overall increase in public safety. Specifically, there has been a 10% reduction in new criminal activity for individuals who were booked into custody before the implementation of PARP.
“PARP has effectively replaced a wealth-based bail system with a new system that balances the need for public safety with the constitutional rights of the accused,” Executive Officer/Clerk of Court David W. Slayton said. “As magistrate judges make individualized risk assessments to determine whether a person is released or not, the condition of release is not based solely on a person’s ability to pay.”

PARP Background

Prior to PARP, an individual’s access to money too often determined their eligibility for release. A system based on wealth meant that low-risk individuals without access to money stayed in jail. Meanwhile, high-risk individuals with access to money might be released into the community within hours.

Under PARP, individuals who are arrested after committing non-serious and non-violent offenses may, according to the Bail Schedule, either/or:

  • Receive a citation from law enforcement officers and be released.
  • Be booked and fingerprinted before being released by law enforcement officers.
  • Have their booking reviewed for risk to public safety and failure to appear at court by a magistrate judge for possible release.
The magistrate judge reviews the person’s criminal history, the circumstances of their arrest and the risk of the person failing to appear in court and committing a new offense upon their release. The judge then makes an individualized risk assessment to determine whether the person should be temporarily held until their arraignment or released. These reviews are made 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year.

The Court’s move away from money bail, coupled with judicial decision-making, allowed newly arrested people to leave jail and return to their communities before their arraignment without compromising public safety.

PARP was originally implemented in October 2023. The Court released a preliminary report on PARP data three weeks after the new bail schedule was implemented followed by a report that examined PARP data eight weeks after implementation.