Fulton County Superior Court - Atlanta - Georgia

A program that began April 1, 2009 increases the number of defendants given pretrial release while saving Fulton County taxpayers more than $5.5 million a year in jail costs.

The Superior Court of Fulton County’s Pretrial Services will operate the new Intensive Supervision Program (ISP) which was recently funded by the Fulton County Commission. The program will provide rigorous supervision of defendants who don’t qualify for release under existing criteria.

Over the past decade the Court’s existing Pretrial Services program has racked up an impressive record of reducing jail costs while ensuring that over 95 percent of program defendants show up for all scheduled court hearings.

Candidates for the program are:

• Youthful defendants charged with non-violent crimes that the Judiciary deem appropriate for release if   heightened supervision is available.

• Defendants whose community ties cannot be “verified” or those who have not established a six month residency in the Atlanta metropolitan area

•Defendants, with little or no criminal history, charged with property crimes who do not meet normal pretrial release criteria.

•Defendants referred to the ISP by a judge

 ISP release requirements may include:

•In-person office contact twice a week

•Weekly field visits to defendant’s home/employer

•Curfew

•Electronic Monitoring

•Seek full-time employment if not already employed.

•Attend in-house life skills programs or community service programs.

•Be employed or actively seeking employment or school

•Defendants without high school diploma must enter GED program

•Social service agency referrals where appropriate

•Immediate sanctions in response to program infractions

 The ISP will notify the Court, District Attorney, and Defense Counsel of any violations of release conditions.