Implementation Guide

Human Toll of Jail Interagency Collaboration Pretrial and Bail October 12, 2018

Case Study: Pretrial Strategy for Handling Intimate Partner Violence Cases

Urban Institute

Pretrial agencies are well positioned to manage and mitigate risks of intimate partner violence by monitoring some aggressors in the community and routinely assessing risk levels. This case study highlights Buncombe County, North Carolina’s experience implementing a pretrial protocol that provides nuanced supervision of aggressors who have engaged in intimate partner violence. After one year of implementation, Buncombe County has seen a 10 percent reduction of admissions to jail among people with intimate partner violence charges. The study examines early outcomes and implementation challenges, builds upon scant research about the effective pretrial supervision of IPV cases, and charts a course for other localities that seek to institute an effective response.