OCT. 2023 \u2013<\/strong> Data and transparency are essential to the pursuit of justice, yet for too long, the inner workings of prosecutors\u2019 offices have been a black box. Thankfully, a new generation of reform-minded prosecutors is leading the way in embracing data, redefining success beyond conviction rates, and sharing vital information with their communities. This FJP white paper<\/a> explores lessons learned from these offices and provides a roadmap for other prosecutors looking to increase their data capacity and transparency in ways that both improve internal office management and build trust with the people they serve. A one-page overview of the white paper can be found here<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile it took time and investment to make the necessary changes to policies and processes, we\u2019re now in a place where we can get useful answers from our data that help us make better decisions to promote community safety and well-being.\u201d JUNE 13, 2023 \u2013 <\/strong>The increased availability of DNA testing and surge in exonerations over the past three decades have cast a bright light on the prevalence of unjust convictions in the United States. As ministers of justice in their communities, elected prosecutors are responsible for ensuring that innocent people do not remain incarcerated for crimes they didn\u2019t commit and that safeguards are put in place to prevent future mistakes. In\u00a0this article<\/a>\u00a0in the\u00a0German Journal of Criminology and Penal Reform,<\/em>\u00a0FJP Executive Director Miriam Krinsky and Senior Research, Policy and Communications Associate Rebecca Blair discuss the growth and impact of conviction integrity units (CIUs) in prosecutor\u2019s offices and explain how some DAs are working towards a more holistic vision of post-conviction justice.<\/p>\n \u201cThe last three decades have proven that prosecutors hold broad power to cause, correct, and prevent wrongful convictions\u2026 [A] growing number are leveraging the tools of their positions to make their local criminal legal system more just, fair, and effective. Their combined efforts have yielded hundreds of exonerations, corrected unjust sentences, and prevented the imprisonment of untold numbers of innocent people.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n FEB. 24, 2022 \u2013<\/strong> Around 97% of federal convictions and 94% of state felony convictions are obtained through a guilty plea, but plea bargaining often involves coercive tactics that have fueled over-incarceration, and the plea process has hardly any oversight in the United States. This \u201cIssues at a Glance\u2019 brief<\/a> from FJP and Fair Trials describes how elected prosecutors can take immediate action to ensure their offices\u2019 plea bargaining practices promote and protect due process, fairness, and transparency. For more, read the release<\/a> on this brief.<\/p>\n \u201cAs an elected prosecutor, I am entrusted by my community to pursue justice, and using plea bargaining to rack up convictions and unnecessarily put people behind bars goes against that responsibility.” OCT. 1, 2020 \u2013 <\/strong>FJP, in partnership with criminologists from Florida International University and Loyola University at Chicago and with support from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation\u2019s Safety & Justice Challenge, announced the launch of Prosecutorial Performance Indicators (PPIs). The PPIs are 55 new measures of performance that challenge and expand traditional measures of success in the field of prosecution. Historically, prosecutorial performance has been measured by metrics such as number of cases filed, conviction rates, and sentence length, thereby encouraging tough-on-crime policies and feeding mass incarceration. Amid widespread protests and calls for reimagining public safety, the PPIs provide a timely shift toward priorities of safety, community well-being, justice and fairness. Read the\u00a0release<\/a>\u00a0and visit the\u00a0PPI website<\/a>.<\/p>\n
\n\u2013 Chatham County (Savannah, GA) District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nThe Prosecutor\u2019s Power to Correct and Prevent Unjust Convictions<\/h4>\n
Issues at a Glance Brief: Plea Bargaining<\/h4>\n
\n\u2013 Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\nResearchers Launch New Tool to Measure Success for Prosecutors\u2019 Offices<\/strong><\/h4>\n