SF Pretrial Nonprofit That Keeps 95% of Clients Out of Jail Faces Contract Termination by Courts

A San Francisco nonprofit that has successfully kept 95% of its clients out of jail and appearing in court is at risk of losing its contract with the Sheriff's Office, a move that critics say could collapse the city's pretrial system. The San Francisco Pretrial Diversion Project, which provides supervision and support to defendants awaiting trial, has been told by the court that its services will be transferred to the Probation Department starting next year.

Sheriff Paul Miyamoto acknowledged the transition would be challenging, estimating it would take at least a year to implement. "We just had our first meeting with the Probation Department in terms of talking about what their plan is," Miyamoto said during a recent Board of Supervisors hearing.

The court justified its decision by claiming the Probation Department would be more accountable and transparent, and would improve public safety. In a statement, the court said, "SF Pretrial refused to provide the records requested by the court, leading to the court's decision to discontinue its partnership.

The fiscal implications, along with reporting inaccuracies and limited information to judges, demonstrated the urgency of the court's decision to move forward." However, the court did not provide data to support its claims of shoddy or unaccountable work.

Anya Worley-Ziegmann, a coordinator with the People's Budget Coalition, a citizen watchdog group, criticized the switch. "No other agency is hiring new positions," Worley-Ziegmann said.

"They are ramming this through and steering us toward a collapse of our pretrial system."

Supervisor Connie Chan expressed concerns about the lack of transparency in the decision-making process, noting that no representative from the court was present to answer questions during the hearing. Despite these concerns, the three-member board forwarded SF Pretrial's $22.5 million, three-year contract with the Sheriff's Office to the full board for approval.

The nonprofit's track record shows that 95% of its clients remain out of jail and appear for their court dates, a statistic that supporters argue demonstrates the program's effectiveness. The transition to the Probation Department, which is not hiring new staff, raises questions about how the county will manage the caseload without additional resources.