National Pretrial Reporting Program | BJS 2020 18472

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the National Pretrial Reporting Program (NPRP)?

The National Pretrial Reporting Program (NPRP), now referred to as the State Court Processing Statistics series, is a Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) effort to compile detailed, case-level information on how people charged with felony offenses move through state courts, with a strong emphasis on what happens before trial.

What is the main purpose of this grant opportunity?

The opportunity supports a 2020 update of the NPRP/State Court Processing Statistics series by rebuilding and modernizing the dataset. The goal is to strengthen the national evidence base on felony case trajectories in state courts and provide more current and reliable measures of pretrial practices.

What kinds of questions is the dataset meant to answer?

The series is designed to document and analyze pretrial decision-making and outcomes, including whether defendants are released or detained, the conditions of release when it occurs, and how early pretrial decisions connect to later case processing milestones.

What does "case-level information" mean in this context?

It means information is compiled at the level of individual felony cases as they move through state court processing, rather than only reporting aggregated totals.

What is the emphasis on "pretrial" in this program?

The emphasis is on what happens before trial, particularly release and detention decisions, the conditions attached to release, and how those decisions relate to later case outcomes and processing in state courts.

How was NPRP data collected historically?

Historically, NPRP data collection was conducted prospectively, meaning cases were followed forward in time starting from filing. Data were extracted from courts and other criminal justice agencies.

How long were cases followed in the historical NPRP approach?

Cases involving homicide were tracked for up to twenty-four months, while most other felony cases were followed for twelve months.

Where was historical data collection concentrated?

Historical collection was concentrated in 40 of the 75 largest urban counties, which enabled large volumes of felony cases to be captured but leaned heavily toward large urban jurisdictions.

Why is the historic focus on large urban counties seen as a limitation?

Because it did not fully reflect the diversity of state court systems nationwide, including suburban, rural, and smaller jurisdictions that may have different policies, resources, and case mixes.

What is different about the 2020 update compared to earlier NPRP efforts?

The 2020 update emphasizes modernization in both coverage and methods, including leveraging improvements in computerized case management systems and shifting priorities toward producing nationally representative data rather than focusing primarily on the largest urban areas.

What does BJS mean by "modernization" for this series?

Modernization signals a move toward more efficient, standardized, and potentially more accurate data extraction and linkage across agencies, taking advantage of improvements in computerized case management systems used by courts and justice agencies.

What does "nationally representative" mean for this project?

It means BJS is prioritizing data that better reflect state court felony processing nationwide, which can support broader generalizations and help identify variation across different types of counties and court systems (not only large urban jurisdictions).

Why is national representativeness important for the intended dataset?

Nationally representative data can improve the usefulness of the series by enabling comparisons and analyses across different jurisdictions and supporting conclusions that are not limited to large urban areas.

Who is offering this grant opportunity?

The opportunity is offered by the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS).

What type of award is this?

This is a discretionary award made through a cooperative agreement.

What does it mean that the award is a "cooperative agreement"?

A cooperative agreement generally indicates closer collaboration and oversight by the funding agency than a standard grant, often including substantial involvement by BJS in refining methods, deliverables, and project direction.

What funding activity category is associated with this opportunity?

The opportunity sits within the Information and Statistics funding activity category.

What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

The CFDA number associated with this opportunity is 16.734.

How many awards did BJS anticipate making?

BJS anticipated making a single award.

What is the maximum funding amount (ceiling) mentioned?

The funding ceiling listed is $3,000,000.

When was the opportunity posted?

The opportunity was posted on April 3, 2020.

What was the original closing date?

The original closing date was June 2, 2020.

Who is eligible to apply based on the provided information?

Eligibility is listed broadly as "Others," with additional eligibility details referenced in the full solicitation materials.

What is the overall goal of rebuilding and modernizing this dataset?

The overall goal is to rebuild an important national statistics series on felony case processing in state courts, update it to reflect modern data systems, and expand its usefulness by aiming for national representativeness.

What is the intended impact of the resulting dataset?

The resulting dataset is intended to improve understanding of pretrial release and detention patterns and, more broadly, how felony defendants are processed through state court systems from the point of filing through subsequent case milestones.