For Immediate Release: June 2, 2016

Contacts:

Fiona Druge, fiona.druge@berlinrosen.com,(646) 755-6126 Pretrial Justice

Institute
Dana Gutierrez, dgutierrez@guamcourts.org , (671) 300-9282 Judiciary of
Guam

Guam Joins National Effort to Improve Pretrial Justice

Pretrial Justice Institutes 3DaysCount Campaign Offers Path to Smaller Jail
Populations and Greater Public Safety
Hagatna, Guam Chief Justice Robert J. Torres of the Judiciary of Guam and Cherise
Fanno Burdeen, executive director of the Pretrial Justice Institute (PJI), today announced
that Guam is joining 3DaysCount, a national campaign to make pretrial justice safer,
fairer, and more effective. The campaign will focus on improving pretrial justice laws
and court rulesthe crucial structures that support good criminal justice policies from
the point of arrest to when cases are resolved. Guam is the first jurisdiction to announce
its participation in 3DaysCount, which will support commonsense state- and territorylevel reform aimed at improved public safety and better outcomes for systems and
people.
Acceptance as the inaugural member into 3DaysCount means we will receive support
to promote commonsense solutions to longstanding pretrial justice system challenges
that discriminate against the poor, fail to protect individual and community safety and
squander public resources, said Justice Torres.
We are delighted to welcome Guam as the inaugural member of 3DaysCount and
commend Justice Torres for his foresight and leadership in committing Guam to
transforming pretrial justice, said Cherise Fanno Burdeen, executive director of the
Pretrial Justice Institute. Stakeholders and the public now recognize how important
pretrial justice is in protecting public safety and building trust with our communities. We
are looking forward to working with Justice Torres, his fellow stakeholders, and the
people of Guam to support commonsense solutions that are safe, fair, and effective.
These aims can be achieved together.

Over the next four years, 3DaysCount will work with representatives from Guam and up
to 19 other states or territories, to be announced as they join the campaign, to realize
three specific goals:

Reduce unnecessary arrests

Replace money bail with alternatives based on risk
Restrict pretrial detention, after due process, to people who pose a genuine
risk to public safety.

As a nationally recognized resource for legal and evidence-based solutions to common

pretrial challenges, PJI will both support 3DaysCount sites reform agendas and also lead
a national action campaign to directly engage communities in calling for transparency
and needed change.
A Significant Opportunity for Guam:
In Guam, current high rates of pretrial detention have criminal justice officials seeking
ways to eliminate inappropriate jail usage and avoid building costly new facilities.
3DaysCount will support leaders in Guam to improve court rules and justice system
culture through access to national experts and a vast knowledge base of best practices,
research, and experience. Guams participation in the campaign will enable the territory
to cultivate a community of innovators who will develop pretrial justice solutions that
increase safety, fairness, and efficiency.
3DaysCount is great fit for Guam because it aligns with the Chamorro tradition of Inafa
maolek, said Justice Torres. In calling upon us to work together to find humane,
evidence-based solutions that protect public safety while also offering a more
constructive response to people who, although accused of crime are presumed innocent
in the eyes of the law. It invites us into a process that promises to restore harmony,
order, and hope to large portions of our community.
Stakeholder Support for 3DaysCount in Guam
General Elizabeth Barrett-Anderson, Attorney General of Guam
The Office of the Attorney General of Guam supports working with the Judiciary and
law enforcement to maintain a balance between the defendants right to pretrial
release, and the rights of victims of crime, that assures their safety as well as the safety
of our community.
Richard Dirkx, Acting Executive Director Guam Public Defender Service Corporation
Having adequate representation that provides equal protection for our clients during
all stages of a criminal proceeding is critical to the Guam Public Defender Service
Corporation. We are proud to be part of the 3DaysCount Campaign and we look
forward to working with the Judiciary to modernize our approach to pretrial practices in
Guam.

About Money Bail

Today, nearly half a million legally innocent people are held in U.S. in jails at an
aggregate annual cost to taxpayers of nearly $14 billion. Most of these men and women
could be released to await trial in the community and be counted on, with a little
support, to appear in court and not be rearrested while they handle their case. They
remain detained solely because they are unable to afford money bail. It is unfair to hold
a poor person in jail while another person who poses a similar risk level can pay money
and be released. It is also unsafe. Research shows that as little as three days in jail can
destabilize the things we know make people low risk: jobs and housing, education and
health care, family support and connections. Moreover, current money bail systems
threaten public safetyhalf of the highest risk people exploit the system and purchase
their freedom without any supervision by the courts.
About the Pretrial Justice Institute
Since 1977 the Pretrial Justice Institute (PJI) has been a national resource for policy
makers at the federal, state and local levels. PJIs core purpose is to advance safe, fair,
and effective juvenile and adult pretrial justice practices and policies that honor and
protect all people. We work to achieve this by monitoring the state of and advocating
for pretrial justice in America; convening, educating, and supporting stakeholders to
transform their colleagues and systems; and demonstrating that change is possible by
working directly with jurisdictions on implementation. For more information about PJI
and 3DaysCount, visit www.pretrial.org and www.pretrial.org/3DaysCount.
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