Court Services

Since CJA launched in 1973, we are committed to giving every individual arrested in New York City an equal chance at remaining in their community while also providing support during the pretrial process to ensure they fulfill their court obligations. Our staff – who work 24/7 in each borough's courthouses – are committed to treating those involved in the criminal legal system fairly and with dignity.

On This Page

  • The Release Assessment

    Our staff interview nearly all individuals arrested and held for arraignment and make a pretrial release recommendation to the court.

  • Bail Expediting Program (BEX)

    Our Bail Expediting Program (BEX) helps people and their families navigate the complicated bail payment process and decrease pretrial detention.

  • The Atlas Program

    Atlas is a city-funded initiative with the overall mission to reduce arrest and incarceration while investing in support-oriented safety strategies.

CJA Pretrial Interview and Release Assessment

  • CJA interviews nearly every person arrested in New York City before they are arraigned, gathering key information to generate the Release Assessment (RA). The RA is a data-informed tool used by judges and court stakeholders to make release decisions at arraignment.

    Pretrial detention, even for a few days, can have devastating consequences on an individual's employment, housing, health, and more, and may lead to further involvement with the criminal legal system. The RA is part of a broader effort to address issues of racial and economic inequality within the justice system.

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. In certain cases, CJA may not make a recommendation or may not conduct an interview.

Explore the assessment

Bail Expediting Program (BEX)

  • CJA launched the Bail Expediting Program (BEX) in the 1980s to help New Yorkers navigate the complicated bail payment process and decrease pretrial detention. CJA supports families and sureties – people who can post bail for someone else - in understanding how to pay bail and secure the release of their loved ones from custody.

    When someone is assigned bail at arraignment and meets eligibility criteria (bail amount is $10,000 or less, or the person is 17 years or younger with any bail amount), CJA staff call potential sureties to see if they can pay the bail. Through BEX, CJA has helped reduce unnecessary pretrial detention facilities simply because people are unable to pay bail the day it is set.

The Atlas Program

  • Atlas offers free, voluntary, evidence-based therapeutic and wraparound services to recently arrested individuals. Atlas is administered by community-based organizations with deep ties to the neighborhoods most impacted by over-enforcement and violence. Over 11,000 New Yorkers have been referred to Atlas since its launch in August 2020.

    CJA's role in Atlas involves developing data-driven eligibility criteria and serving as the primary referral sources for both Functional Family Therapy's Youth and Adult programs.