Pretrial Services
Otter Tail County Probation completes pretrial bail evaluations, oversees pretrial electronic alcohol monitors, and facilitates pretrial random testing. The Pretrial Officer strives to monitor pretrial files to enhance public safety while increasing the likelihood the client will return for court. By providing Pretrial Services, the Court knows conditions of release are being monitored which may enhance public safety.
Bail Evaluations
Otter Tail County Probation completes bail evaluations on qualifying offenses. In 2019, the Pretrial Release Initiative was fully implemented which adopted the Minnesota Pretrial Assessment Tool (MNPAT) for use on offenses requiring judicial review. The MNPAT is completed for all defendants who have been charged with an offense that is considered a misdemeanor or gross misdemeanor level “crime of violence” in Minnesota.
The MNPAT is completed prior to the defendant’s initial appearance in court. The assessment tool includes background information and allows for comments from the victim. The assessment tool is meant to ensure judges have the most predictive and least biased information to provide accurate, objective, and useful information for pretrial release decisions (Minnesota Judicial Branch).
Electronic Monitoring
Otter Tail County Probation oversees electronic monitoring as ordered by the Court. Clients subject to electronic monitoring must pay a per diem fee to the monitoring company prior to the starting date and then weekly thereafter.
Otter Tail County Probation received a Remote Electronic Alcohol Monitoring (REAM) Grant to reduce the per diem for qualifying clients. The Pretrial Officer monitors the client’s progress and may take a client into custody for alcohol use or non-compliance with the monitor.
Random Testing
Otter Tail County Probation monitors all Gross Misdemeanor and Misdemeanor Conditional Release files which order random testing. The Pretrial Officer uses a risk assessment to differentiate clients by assessed risk level and then facilitates random testing based on that risk level. This evidence-based approach to Pretrial Services best utilizes limited resources while increasing public safety.
The Pretrial Officer may guide clients toward services, such as chemical use assessment and treatment, prior to the client being sentenced. This approach allows clients to address their criminogenic factors as close to the behavior as possible, which falls in line with evidence-based practices. The client is then in a better position to successfully complete probation while being a productive member of the community.
Clients subject to Conditional Release with random testing may receive notice to submit to random testing anywhere from weekly to not at all depending on their assessed risk level and identified concern. The Pretrial Officer may increase or decrease random testing based on dynamic factors such as community engagement, treatment participation, compliance with Pretrial Services, collateral concerns, etc.