Release Assessment

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.

  • The Update

    Working with 2 independent teams of research experts, CJA analyzed over 1.6 million cases in NYC to find the best predictors of court appearance. Over 2,000 combinations of factors were tested, and the 8 most predictive factors formed the release assessment.

  • Improved Pretrial Outcomes

    Since 1973, CJA has been working to assist the courts and the City in reducing unnecessary pretrial detention. Today, NYC releases more defendants without monetary conditions than any other big city in the country. The new release assessment will greatly increase the percentage of individuals recommended for release and provide judges with important guidance to help direct individuals to supportive services.

  • Transparency

    The collaborative team met extensively with court players, individuals impacted by the criminal justice system and the broader public. The factors, scoring and formulas used in making release recommendations are publicly available. In each individual case, the release assessment can be inspected, challenged and corrected.

  • Partnership

    CJA developed the updated release assessment with data experts Luminosity, Inc. and Crime Lab New York, as well as the behavioral science firm ideas42. The collaborative team consulted with an independent research advisory council composed of criminal justice advocates and experts in the use of algorithms and risk assessments.

  • Ready for the Future

    The release assessment will be regularly assessed and validated, and, if needed, updated to maintain accuracy.

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.