Pretrial Services History:

On September 27, 1982, the Pretrial Services Act was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. The Act (18 U.S.C. Section 3152) mandated that pretrial services functions shall be provided in each judicial district except the District of Columbia. In May 1988, the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Fourth Circuit Judicial Council voted to establish a separate Pretrial Services Office pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 3152(b).