Pretrial Services Act of 1980

(Reported to House from the Committee on the Judiciary with amendment, H. Rept. 96-1312)

Pretrial Services Act of 1980 - Requires the Director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, under the supervision of the Judicial Conference of the United States, to establish a pretrial services agency, directly or by contract, in each judicial district as recommended by the appropriate district court and circuit judicial council. (Current law authorizes such agencies on a demonstration basis in ten representative districts.)

Places such agencies under the general authority of the Director. (Current law places five agencies under the Office's Division of Probation and five under an independent Board of Trustees.)

Requires, instead of permits, the Director's regulations to provide for certain exceptions to the confidentiality requirements relating to the release of pretrial information.

Continues generally the existing functions and powers of the pretrial service agencies (including the discretion of the district courts to determine which shall be performed), and adds three new duties: (1) to develop a system to monitor and evaluate bail activities; (2) to prepare pursuant to agreements, reports for the U.S. Attorneys Offices on information pertaining to pretrial diversion; and (3) to make contracts to carry out their functions.

Requires the Director to: (1) issue guidelines within 90 days of enactment with respect to the supervision of persons released into the Office's custody; and (2) include in the annual report to the Judicial Conference a report on the operation of each agency and to transmit a copy of such report to Congress.

Authorizes $6,000,000 for fiscal year 1981 and $8,000,000 for fiscal year 1982 for the pretrial service agencies.