Innovations Blog

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

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.

Monroe County District Attorney’s Office (Rochester, NY)

Population: 741,770 | Number of Full-Time Prosecutors: 85 | Contact Information

The Monroe County District Attorney’s Office is asking jurors to survey the grand jury process and the performance of prosecutors and other justice partners during their service. While juror concerns are used to inform prosecutor training needs, positive comments are also shared with the office as part of a popular employee recognition program. This recognition is highly desired by prosecutors.

Summit County District Attorney’s Office (Akron, OH) 

Population: 541,013 | Number of Full-Time Prosecutors: 63 | Contact Information

As a new office strategy, grand jurors and trial jurors are asked to survey the performance of prosecutors and other justice partners to identify training needs and promote better case preparation. The use of surveys has also been expanded to address staff concerns about working conditions, such as office safety protocols in response to the Coronavirus pandemic.  

Prosecutor offices across the country are enlisting the help of trained courthouse facility dogs to provide comfort and support to vulnerable witnesses and victims throughout various stages of the criminal justice process. These dogs undergo at least a two-year training period and are specifically bred to detect a person’s stress level.

To better address domestic violence, this guide provides strategies to prosecutors that increase victim safety and offender accountability and includes information on multi-agency collaborations and co-located service models such as family justice centers.

Office of the Licking County Prosecuting Attorney (Newark, OH)

Population: 175,409 | Contact Information 

The LCPA is creating a Domestic Violence Unit (DVU) that will focus on vertical prosecution to hold offenders accountable and ensure community safety.

St. Paul City Attorney’s Office (St. Paul, MN)

The St. Paul City Attorney’s Office (SPCAO) created the “Gone on Arrival (GOA) Project” to address threat issues in domestic violence cases when the offender is not at the crime scene when law enforcement arrives.

Authors: PCE and Sarah Solano Geisler

Innovative programs described in these state-level papers funded by the DOJ’s Office of Justice Programs are newly developed initiatives undertaken by an office in keeping with its unique resources and the needs of its community. We seek to highlight those offices that are embracing their new role by working within their capacity to bring effective and proactive programs to their communities.

In order to help youth achieve better outcomes in life and prevent their involvement in the criminal justice system, prosecutor’s offices have engaged in commendable efforts to reduce truancy. Offices have created multi-disciplinary truancy-reduction programs at the high school and elementary school levels.

The Pima County Attorney’s Office in Arizona has established a volunteer program for members of the community interested in assisting crime victims and people in crisis. The vetting and training process for victim advocate volunteers is very thorough to ensure high quality candidates are selected and are committed to long-term volunteer service.  The Victim Services Division currently has close to 100 volunteers, some of whom have served for decades.