Check-In Line: (850) 914-7877
Office: (850) 747-5183

Email:PTRWP@jud14.flcourts.org

Hours M-F 8:00AM - 12:00PM, 1:00PM - 4:30PM

Located on the first floor of the courthouse, near the County Courtroom. Sign in on computer to be seen.

The Bay County Pretrial Release Program is an intervention program designed to maximize the supervised release of defendants prior to trial, thus, reducing jail costs. One of its primary functions is to provide the judiciary with critical information (e.g., criminal history background, employment, residence, ties to the community) on defendants for release/bond determination. Moreover, the program provides supervision of defendants conditionally released prior to trial and those defendants found incompetent to proceed to trial that can be released from incarceration with supervision. By serving these two functions, the program allows appropriately screened defendants to remain within the community, while under the Program s strict supervision requirements, and saves local tax payer dollars on the daily cost for jail bed space.

The program, which began December 1990, was a success with the judiciary and the county from the very beginning. The number of clients grew rapidly as the credibility with the judiciary was established in a short period of time. While the Program estimated that it would routinely supervise 75 defendants, that number has increased to its current day caseload of 375 individuals who are supervised on the program. A monetary savings resulting from saved jail bed space was also realized by the County. At the end of the first full year of operation, $359,000 in jail bed cost avoidance was enjoyed by the county. Last year, almost $5 million was avoided in jail bed expenses directly attributed to the Bay County Pretrial Release Program.