As a Pretrial Practitioner, I will:
1. Assist the criminal justice system in its dealings with pretrial defendants to the best of my ability and will conduct myself as a professional at all times
2. Respect the dignity of the individual, be they defendants, victims, or fellow criminal justice professionals;
3. Respect the dignity and integrity of the court;
4. Respect the presumption of innocence of all defendants, until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, and to uphold the fundamental right of every accused person who has been arrested and is facing prosecution under the U.S. criminal justice system;
5. Pledge that the information I provide to the court and the decisions I make are as accurate and objective as possible;
6. Treat all people equally regardless of race, national origin, disability, age, gender, sexual orientation or religion;
7. Protect the confidentiality of all information obtained, except when necessary to prevent serious, foreseeable, and/or imminent harm to a defendant or other identifiable person(s);
8. Avoid impropriety or the appearance of impropriety;
9. Avoid any conflicts of interest and will not evaluate, supervise and/or provide services to anyone I have an existing relationship with, nor enter into a personal or business relationship with anyone I evaluate, supervise or provide services to;
10. Continue to pursue my own professional development and education to further my expertise in the field;
11. Promote the growth of pretrial services, as well as encourage and cooperate with research and development in advancing the field;
12. Respect and promote the fundamental principles and professional standards which guide pretrial services and will implement these best practices to the extent I am able;
13. Refrain from providing legal advice to any pretrial defendants; and lastly,
14. Promise to conduct myself as an individual of good character who will act in good faith in making reliable ethical judgments.
August 2006
Code of Ethics
NAPSA Code of Ethics for Pretrial Release and Diversion Practitioners
