On September 27, 1982, the Pretrial Services Act was signed into law by the President, mandating that pretrial services functions be provided in each judicial district except the District of Columbia. Initially, pretrial services in the Eastern District of Missouri was administered by the U.S. Probation Office. In the spring of 1987, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and the Eighth Circuit Judicial Council decided to establish a separate Pretrial Services Office. On September 21, 1987, R. James Behm was sworn in as the Chief United States Pretrial Services Officer. On May 24, 1996, Mr. Behm resigned to become Chief United States Probation Officer in the Eastern District of Missouri. On November 1, 1996, Eugene C. Kain, Jr., was sworn in as the Chief United States Pretrial Services Officer.

At inception, the Pretrial Services Office in the Eastern District of Missouri consisted of one Chief Pretrial Services Officer, one Pretrial Services Officer, one Chief Clerk, and one Clerk. By 1997 staff in this district had grown to include one Chief Pretrial Services Officer, on Deputy Chief Pretrial Services Officer, one Supervising Pretrial Services Officer, three Senior Pretrial Services Officers (Drug Alcohol Treatment Specialist and two Electronic Monitoring Specialists), four Pretrial Services Officers, one Administrative Analyst, and support staff. Student Interns at the graduate level also complete practicums at the Pretrial Services Office. In 1994, a satellite office was opened in Cape Girardeau to serve the court in Southeastern Missouri.

The Pretrial Services Office covers forty-eight counties within the State of Missouri, in addition to the City of St. Louis. Pretrial Services Officers are assigned particular geographical areas, and are responsible for the supervision of individuals residing in those areas.