Authorizing Supreme Court to develop pilot pretrial release programs

(a) The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals is hereby authorized to develop pretrial release programs in all the circuits of this state with the aim of reducing regional jail populations of short-term detainees while ensuring the safety of law-abiding citizens. (b) The programs authorized by subsection (a) of this section shall be available only to persons charged with non-violent misdemeanors. (c) Any program developed pursuant to this section shall require input from arresting officers and shall allow for electronic authorization by magistrates of a charged person's participation. (d) In developing the programs in the state for examples of successful practices authorized by this section the court is requested to review any existing programs. (e) As part of any pretrial release program, the court is requested to develop an electronic system for pretrial court date reminders, through text messages, emails, or other electronic means, to reduce the risk of failure to appear, which should be available to all defendants on pretrial release and their counsel of record. (f) The Supreme Court of Appeals is hereby requested to provide annual reports to the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Delegates as to the efficacy of the programs.