The Kansas Supreme Court has established a new 15-member Ad Hoc Criminal Pretrial Practices and Procedures Advisory Committee to help improve pretrial supervision and detention. This committee will carry out the recommendations made by the Ad Hoc Pretrial Justice Task Force in 2020. The task force, formed in 2018, reviewed pretrial detention practices in Kansas district courts and explored alternatives to detention to ensure public safety and encourage court attendance.

Chief Judge Karen Arnold-Burger of the Kansas Court of Appeals, who led the task force, will chair the new committee. The task force’s report highlighted the harmful effects of pretrial detention on defendants and noted that many Americans believe the system unfairly targets the poor. Surveys showed strong support for reducing pretrial incarceration, especially for nonviolent crimes, and offering pretrial release with conditions like staying away from the victim or being supervised.