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The decisions made early in the justice process shape everything that follows. Below, we explore why effective pretrial practices matter, from improving fairness to strengthening public safety, and how Automated Decision Support in our software helps carry those same principles forward by bringing clarity, consistency, and policy alignment to everyday supervision decisions. Together, these insights show how thoughtful practice and purposeful technology work hand in hand to support better outcomes across the system.

Automated Decision Support: How equivant Supervision Guides Informed Decision Making

In community corrections and pretrial work, decisions never stop.

They affect staff workloads, individual outcomes, and public trust. And they’re rarely made under ideal conditions. More often, they happen amid full caseloads, competing priorities, incomplete information, and policy guidance that continues to evolve. ... Read More >>

What is Pretrial and Why It Matters

Simply put, pretrial is the period between arrest and case disposition. During this window, courts determine whether a person is released (usually with conditions) or detained while

balancing two core objectives: public safety and court appearance. While the concept may sound straightforward, real-world execution is complex. ... Read More >>

Pretrial Supervision and Domestic Violence: Factors to Consider... read more
A Gender-Responsive Approach to Supervision Strategies... read more
The Pros and Cons of AI for Case Management in Probation and Parole Supervision... read more
The Crucial Role of Data and Analytics for Informed Pretrial Decision-Making... read more

Exlore More Supervision Blogs

Explore More Pretrial Blogs

Software Updates & Releases

Post-conviction Supervision now includes enhanced details
Expansion of Custom Forms
Search by last 4 digits of SSN
API endpoint library now contains Custom Fields for Pretrial and Charge Modifiers
Arrest/Investigation queue modernizations

New text (SMS) configuration options, messaging displays, and iView widgets

Inside equivant Supervision + Pretrial

Learn more about how equivant Supervision + Pretrial impacts agencies across the country. Check out our Customer Impact pages:

equivant Supervision Customer Impact
equivant Pretrial Customer Impact

Meet Jed McDaniel, Team Lead, Supervision Department

Why did you get into the justice industry?

In 1998, I had my own software contracting company "Coyote Software Solutions;" we were contracted by Northpointe to convert a DOS program "CCAMIS" into a Windows desktop application. After a year of working on this, the contract time and money ran out, but there was still work to be done and my relationship with the rest of the

Northpointe staff was well established so I was offered a permanent job in February 1999.

Why do you love what you do?

Our software isn’t just some boring shopping cart type software; it affects lives and it matters. It helps both the people in the system and the public, and can be used as a tool for managing people and helping them improve their lives. It helps protect the public because it gives providers, judges, and counselors the tools needed to make decisions and ways to help manage this population. It can even be used as a tool to determine if someone is too high of a risk to be released.

Favorite book?

Wizards and Glass, a part of the Stephen King Dark Tower series. The whole series is a great story about a hero’s journey and how he gets help from unlikely sources. He is so invested in his mission that he is willing to do anything to accomplish his goal, even if that means sacrificing his friends. The book has all the things you want—love, adventure, and vengeance.

When you are not working, what are your favorite things to do?

When I’m not at work, I’m at some kind of sporting event watching family participate. I have 3 daughters—28, 24 and 10. We watch the 10-year-old play everything. We also have several nieces and nephews that play varsity sports that we enjoy watching. My personal hobby is that I love to spend time in my woodshop making furniture and other projects. I also like playing on the play station.

Favorite food?

I love BBQ and I love to smoke meats. I actually have a yearly BBQ in July and get to feed about 30-50 people; it’s a great weekend of fun and food.

My superpower is...

I’m good with people, and I love helping my team succeed. A lifetime ago I bartended and was a waiter. I’m an anomaly-a computer nerd who is also an extrovert!