PCE Pop-Up on Re-Entry, Community Outreach, and Community Connection

On January 11, 2021, PCE hosted a Pop-Up discussion on community engagement with presentations on connection, outreach and re-entry, creating a community advisory board, and moving cases out of the criminal justice system.

In November 2020, the National Black Prosecutors Association in collaboration with PCE and other partners hosted a four-hour training that examined biases in the criminal justice system, using scientific data and case studies. Approximately 300 participants were provided with actionable strategies to bring about a more equitable justice system and to maintain the integrity of the legal system.

Ingham County District Attorney’s Office (Lansing, MI)

Population: 292,406 | Number of Full-Time Prosecutors: 34 | Contact Information

In the Ingham County District Attorney’s Office, prosecutors are no longer filing cases that result from non-safety traffic stops, even where contraband may be discovered. The rationale behind this innovation is to reduce the disparate impact that such stops have on communities of color. Nationwide, drivers of color are disproportionately stopped and searched at a higher rate than similarly situated white drivers, even though searches of white drivers were more likely to result in the recovery of illegal contraband.

Ramsey County (MN) Attorney John Choi and Lucy Lang, former Director of the Institute for Innovation (IIP) in Prosecution, discuss an officer-involved fatalities toolkit spearheaded by IIP. 

Watch here. (26 minutes)

Dan Clark, Chief of the Criminal Division in the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (WA), shares strategies for prosecutors on how to facilitate discussions about race, social justice and equity. 

Social isolation isn’t stopping the Nassau DA’s office from connecting to their community. See how they’re virtually reaching out more than ever.

Authors: PCE and National Black Prosecutors Association

As we know, prosecutors must be fact-based and fair in the pursuit of justice. Prosecutors cannot base their judgements on whim, bias or hunches. Studies have shown that all people have implicit biases that could influence their decisions. Training can help prosecutors to understand this issue and provide strategies for assuring that prosecutorial decisions are based on the facts and not predisposed by irrelevant implicit biases.

One of the many benefits of being part of the Best Practices network is the ability to share information with prosecutors across the country about promising programs and how to implement them. Prosecutors’ Center for Excellence (PCE) held a two-day conference in Boston on July 19 and 20, 2016 with prosecutors from 17 states in attendance. One topic was how to create community programs on a shoe string.

Here is a sampling of the varied – and excellent – programs highlighted during the meeting: