The Pretrial Opportunity Program (POP) is a front-end drug court program designed to provide the incentive for life altering changes to participants who are ready to seize the opportunity.  It may also allow for sentencing alternatives if justified. The program provides participants an opportunity to engage in productive behavior, achieve a drug-free and law-abiding lifestyle, and prove to the Court and the community that they have earned consideration for an alternative sentence. However, the final determination of sentence, including whether or not any such reduction is appropriate, will not be made until sentencing is held.

Participants must have a documented history of significant addiction that led them to become involved in the criminal justice system. Participants must be compliant with their pretrial release conditions and have demonstrated a commitment to their sobriety.  Participants must be pending sentencing to be admitted into the program.

Participants of the POP program will receive intensive, multidimensional supervision from their case officer.  Participants will attend monthly sessions with the POP team, including United States District Judges, United States Pretrial Services, United States Probation and liaison counsel from the offices of the United States Attorney and the Federal Public Defender.  These meetings, or conferences, will be in a group setting and will focus on each participant’s progress with treatment, educational/employment, and other program goals. Fellow participants will also be present to provide additional feedback and support. 

If you would like additional information regarding the POP Program, please contact Deputy Chief Daniela Guido at (973) 645-2230 or click here for additional related resources.