The New York City Criminal Justice Agency is a nonprofit corporation that serves the criminal-justice system under contract with the Office of the Coordinator for Criminal Justice. Established in 1973, the agency provides pretrial release services as recommended by the Vera Institute of Justice s Manhattan Bail Project in the early 1960s. The agency focuses on decreasing the number of days spent in detention by defendants who could be safely released to the community while awaiting trial. It also focuses on reducing the rate of nonappearance in court among defendants released from detention and awaiting trial. The agency assists the Alternatives to Incarceration Programs in screening defendants for a range of noncustodial sanctions. It additionally provides information and research services to criminal-justice policy makers, city officials and the public.