What is the Pretrial Intervention Program (PTI)?
The Pretrial Intervention Program (PTI) provides defendants, generally first-time offenders, with opportunities for alternatives to the traditional criminal justice process of ordinary prosecution. PTI seeks to render early rehabilitative services, when such services can reasonably be expected to deter future criminal behavior. The PTI program is based on a rehabilitative model that recognizes that there may be an apparent causal connection between the offense charged and the rehabilitative needs of a defendant. Further, the rehabilitative model emphasizes that social, cultural, and economic conditions often result in a defendant’s decision to commit crime.
Simply stated, PTI strives to solve personal problems which tend to result from the conditions that appear to cause crime, and ultimately, to deter future criminal or disorderly behavior by a defendant.
What Are The Benefits of the Pretrial Intervention Program (PTI)?
- If PTI is successfully completed, there is no record of conviction and the defendant avoids the stigma of a criminal record.
- Early intervention allows rehabilitative services to be provided soon after the alleged offense, in an attempt to correct the behavior that led to the offense.
- Many of the costs associated with the formal court process are eliminated through acceptance into PTI.
- PTI provides early resolution of a case which serves the interests of the victim, the public and the defendant.
- PTI reduces the burden on the court and allows resources to be devoted to more serious criminals.
What are the Conditions for Participation In Pretrial Intervention?
Supervision under the PTI program may average from one to three years. Certain standard conditions are imposed on those accepted into PTI, such as, random urine monitoring, and assessments for fees, penalties and fines. Additional conditions may also be imposed to require the performance of community service, payment of restitution, and submission to psychological and/or drug and alcohol evaluations with compliance to recommended treatment programs.
If a defendant successfully completes all the conditions of PTI, then the original charges are dismissed and there is no record of conviction.
If a defendant does not successfully complete the conditions of PTI, then the defendant is terminated from the PTI program and the case is returned to the trial list.
Who is Eligible for Pretrial Intervention (PTI)?
Any defendant who is charged with an indictable offense may apply.
The Conditional Discharge for Marijuana Offenses
The Conditional Discharge (CD) is a form of Pre-Trial Intervention, created specifically for simple marijuana offenses in New Jersey.
When you receive a conditional discharge, it means that you have agreed to get placed on probation for up to one year or more, and have agreed to pay fines — in return for the State dropping the drug charge at the end of the probation period and, if successfully completed, ultimately having no criminal record. While in the Conditional Discharge program, prosecution of the charges will be put on hold by the Court and you will have a probation officer who you will be required to report to, and who will administer random urine tests for drugs over the probation period. A conditional discharge will not result in loss of your driver’s license nor result in a criminal record.