SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Judges in Aberdeen, Rapid City and Sioux Falls soon might have better information to help them decide whether to lock up or release suspects awaiting trial.

Minnehaha, Brown and Pennington counties are working with the Criminal Justice Institute at Harvard Law School to develop a pilot program to screen and analyze defendants' backgrounds as a way to better predict their flight risk and danger to the public.

The Argus Leader newspaper reports that judges would receive a pretrial report containing more information than they can typically glean from police reports and attorneys.

Governor's attorney Jim Seward says South Dakota is paying the Criminal Justice Institute $99,000 to provide a year of technical assistance and produce a final report for the state.

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