Did you Know?

Frederick J. Watts
11/28/1957 – 12/23/2021

Fred Watts, a member of PCE’s Board of Directors, died on December 23, 2021.  Shortly before his death he retired as the Executive Director of the New York City Police Athletic League that serves 20,000 New York City youth. Prior to that he was the Executive Assistant District Attorney in Charge of Finance and Administration at the New York County District Attorney’s Office (Manhattan).  Fred was highly respected as a prosecutor, community leader, friend and family man. He served PCE with his exceptional judgement, intelligence and decency.  He is deeply missed. Obituary.

PCE Pop-Ups review current topics through presentations and breakout groups. December 8, 2021 we discussed Empowering Ethical Prosecution.

Materials:

• Meeting Booklet
• Ethics: A List of Considerations for Prosecutors
• Promises to the People: Broome County, DA, NY
• Case Review Questions with BWC – NY Best Practices Committee
• The Right Thing- Ethical Guidelines for Prosecutors

PCE Pop-Ups review current topics through presentations and breakout groups. On June 21, 2021 we discussed what we’ve learned from the pandemic.

Materials: Meeting booklet

Date and Time:

Thursday May 6, 2021 from 2:00 PM (EST) – 4:00 PM (EST).

Materials:

Meeting booklet

To increase transparency and inform the public about the criminal justice system, prosecutor offices have developed data dashboards. The comprehensive public data and resources provide a detailed view of the role of the prosecutor.

The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office in Oakland, California spearheaded the Justice Restoration Project (ACJRP) for felony offenders to reduce recidivism by providing peer support and resources to offenders.

To combat the opioid crisis, prosecutors and their partners must adopt multi-disciplinary approaches that provide solutions on a case-by-case basis. This report provides guidance for prosecutors on investigative steps and decision making, various examples of how prosecutor offices of all sizes have addressed these complex issues, and a self-survey to evaluate an office’s capacity to handle opioid-related challenges.

On February 4, 2021, PCE hosted a Pop-Up discussion on prosecutor diversion programs; here are the presentations and materials:

Prosecutors are problem-solvers for their communities and Crime Strategies Units (CSUs) are a key pillar in this problem-solving approach. By working collaboratively with the community, the police and prosecutors, a CSU seeks to improve public safety by using data to understand crime trends, identify those who drive crime and find solutions to prevent crime.

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.