Coming Soon

The Problem
Amarillo is a large, isolated city in the Texas Panhandle that is split into two counties (Potter County and Randall County). Violent felony offenders in Amarillo commit offenses on both sides of the county line. Due to the location and unique jurisdictional split in the city, local criminal justice entities lack an efficient and effective mechanism to share case and offender information between the offices. 

The Solution
Through IPS, the Randall County Criminal District Attorney’s Office (RCDA), seeks to enhance and improve communication with the 47th District Attorney’s Office and Potter County Attorney’s Office (PCA), the two other prosecutorial agencies serving Amarillo, Texas. Randall County and Potter County are collaborating to enhance, improve, and expand technological compatibility and information sharing among prosecutorial and other criminal justice entities in the greater Amarillo area. With Randall County procuring an updated and common case management system, TechShare.Prosecutor, the counties will create a foundation for sustained communication and interoperability concerning shared suspects and offenders. Additionally, courts, law enforcement agencies, the probation department, and the defense bar can use TechShare.Prosecutor to communicate with and receive information from both counties. Upon implementation of the new case management system, the RCDA will implement Prosecutorial Performance Indicators, to improve the ability and capacity to make data driven decisions regarding allocation of prosecutorial resources, with a focus on violent felony offenders.  

The Evaluation
The RCDA will use a pre-implementation survey to determine the current level of information sharing and to determine how often personnel are accessing another county's case data. A post-implementation survey of personnel will be used to determine whether such access improves knowledge of bi-county offenders and efficiency in collecting information.  

The Team
Robert Love – District Attorney, Randall County Criminal District Attorney’s Office (RCDA) 
Amy Rhoades – First Assistant Criminal District Attorney, RCDA 
Jason Herring – First Assistant Criminal District Attorney, 47th District Attorney’s Office
Nathan Davis – Criminal Division Chief, Potter County Attorney’s Office (PCA) 

The Problem
Violent crime continues to be a problem in Erie County, New York, specifically the City of Buffalo. In addition to the increase in crime, the Erie County District Attorney’s Office has a recent backlog of 300 cases where a DNA specimen was entered into the Combined DNA Index System (CODIS), a national database of DNA profiles, and a match was found. This backlog continues to grow as more matches are made but prosecutors are unable to keep up with the volume of cases.  

The Solution
The Erie County District Attorney’s Office is creating a Forensic Evidence Bureau (FEB) where a dedicated Forensic Evidence Prosecutor will work with investigators and prosecute felonies that involve complex forensic issues. The Forensic Evidence Prosecutor will also work on the backlog of cold cases by thoroughly reviewing CODIS hits to determine which cases can be prosecuted and which cases should be closed. The cases that are viable for prosecution will then be thoroughly investigated and prepared for prosecution. The site will also provide training to new felony trial Assistant District Attorneys on legal issues and DNA. The Forensic Evidence Prosecutor will also consult with other prosecutors in the office regarding DNA and other forensic evidence issues by serving as second chair on relevant cases or assisting in litigating DNA issues that arise during a case.  

The Evaluation
The ECDA Crime Analyst will work with the Erie Crime Analysis Center to identify, compile, and analyze cases where DNA has been collected to determine whether the creation of the Forensic Evidence Bureau decreases the cold case backlog, whether partnering with local law enforcement increase the number of CODIS leads investigated, and whether training prosecutors increases the number of successfully filed and prosecuted cold cases.  

The Team
Mario Giacobbe – Deputy District Attorney, Erie County District Attorney’s Office
Ryan Flaherty – Assistant District Attorney, Erie County District Attorney’s Office
Joe Spino – Project Coordinator, Erie County District Attorney’s Office 

The Problem
Burlington County is the largest county by area in New Jersey and has experienced an uptick in violent crime, especially non-fatal shootings, over the past few years. In response, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office (BCPO) has made it a priority to apply the same investigative techniques in these cases as are used in homicides. Because digital evidence generated from computers, cell phones, tablets, Ring cameras, and cars has become an increasingly important source of information in non-fatal shootings, the office will utilize their Smart Prosecution: Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) grant to increase their region’s ability to collect, analyze, and utilize the electronic data from these types of sources.  

The Solution
Through the Smart Prosecution/IPS grant, the BCPO will outfit a van as a mobile high-tech crime lab, purchase forensic workstations and video forensic tools, and train law enforcement on how to properly collect cell phone data on scene. The office will also hire an intelligence analyst for the Major Crimes Unit to facilitate information sharing across all the law enforcement agencies in the county, conduct social network and digital evidence analysis, and ensure a 48-hour turnaround on ballistic evidence. Additionally, the office purchased four mobile Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) to enhance law enforcement’s ability to conduct shooting investigations. The ALPRs will be strategically placed in areas of high crime, recurring violence, and projected retaliation shootings. Together, the technological support provided by the Smart Prosecution/IPS funds will improve the BCPO’s efficiency and overall proficiency in responding to the region’s gun crime—and will give prosecutors the evidence necessary to build stronger non-fatal shooting cases.  

The Evaluation
The BCPO will measure its success through the increase of law enforcement officers trained to collect and process digital evidence, the number of digital devices processed by the county, the number of successful prosecutions involving digital evidence, and the effect on the region’s gun crime. As of August 2023, there was a 40% decrease in non-fatal shootings, and there have been no homicides related to gun violence.  

The Team
Patrick Thornton – Chief of Investigations

Coming Soon

The Problem
Clare County is a part of rural Michigan, with nearly a fifth of its residents living below the poverty line. County government is currently suffering a budget crisis, which has resulted in the reduction of staff within the prosecutor’s office and fewer resources devoted to the prosecution of violent crimes.

The Solution
The Clare County Prosecutor’s Office (CCPO) is using its IPS grant to dedicate two Assistant Prosecuting Attorneys and an office-based investigator to respond to violent offenses. The CCPO is also updating its case tracking system by transitioning to Prosecutor by Karpel (PbK). This technology update will help transition the office into a paperless system and generate reports on crime statistics and trends. With an enhanced team and case management system, the CCPO will be able to more successfully prosecute violent crime in the county and hold offenders accountable.

The Evaluation
The team will document case-specific data within their case tracking system to document charges filed, weapons used, victim and offender demographics, and case results to determine the impact having dedicated prosecutors has on prosecuting violent crime. The data will also illuminate areas of challenge and the need for trainings and experts to provide additional insight.

The Team
Michelle Ambrozaitis — Prosecuting Attorney, CCPO
Dale Heugel — Investigator, CCPO
Mark Webb — Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, CCPO

Coming Soon

The Problem
The Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office prosecutes criminal cases for state and local law enforcement agencies when a crime is committed in Richland or Kershaw County.  Criminal cases prosecuted by the office are supported by physical evidence collected at crime scenes or through other investigative methods. The amount of evidence, especially digital evidence, the office receives has increased exponentially. The office does not have sufficient data storage space to accommodate this significant increase in digital evidence. 

The Solution
The Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office (the office) is using the IPS grant to purchase a new case management system. In addition to improving the collection, storage and distribution of digital evidence, the office aims to reduce caseloads to manageable levels by updating its information technology, thereby unifying and automating processes that currently have to be performed manually. The office will also improve its ability to accurately collect data regarding the criminal trends at a community level. This will permit the development of a statistically supported application of resources targeting community specific issues, crime reduction, and overall case load management. The office will enhance its use of technology, intelligence, and data to focus resources on the people and places associated with high concentrations of crime, to more efficiently and effectively aid communities reducing criminal activity. 

The Evaluation
The Fifth Circuit Solicitor’s Office will track and document project progress, and will maintain a log on all staff members who have been trained on the new case management system. The office will analyze secondary data from administrative records and conduct interviews with key staff who are using the new system. The office will also compare data from the beginning and the end of the grant. This data will be analyzed to determine if the use of the new case management system decreased caseloads and increased efficiency.  

The Team
Justin Martin – Technical Account Manager, 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office 
Eric Combs – IT specialist, 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office
Hans Pauling – Director of Affiliate Services, 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office
Kyle Holsclaw – Operations Manager, Richland County 
Steve Zurlo – Senior Network Analyst, Richland County 
Karen Pendleton – Grant Writer, 5th Circuit Solicitor’s Office
Brittany Adams – Grants Accountant, Richland County   

The Problem
Cumberland County has significantly higher violent crime, juvenile arrest, and domestic violence rates compared to state and national levels. What’s more, the average case processing time for juvenile and domestic violence cases is well beyond the recommended 60 days.

The Solution
The Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office (CCPO) Juvenile/Domestic Violence Unit is replacing its outdated manual case system with updated information technology. The updated information technology, Infoshare, includes Juvenile eScreening, eDiscovery Portal for the Juvenile Module, Bates Stamping, and Redaction Tools. The IPS team is using Infoshare technology to ensure that law enforcement documents are immediately available upon upload. The technology will also help  expedite the eDiscovery process, with the aim to decrease time delays in obtaining and providing documents to various stakeholders. This technology modernization project will benefit the community through prompt resolution of juvenile and domestic violence proceedings. By modernizing  and expediting its processes, CCPO also aims to minimize the traumatic impact of the justice system on justice-involved youth and ensure swift resolution of domestic violence cases.

The Evaluation
The Juvenile/Domestic Violence Unit will meet with team members on a quarterly basis to discuss project goals, review quarterly numbers, and alter  policies and procedures to make improvements where necessary. CCPO will focus their efforts on reducing case processing times and the average length of stay for juveniles in a detention facility awaiting case resolution. The IPS team is also collaborating with the Superior Court, Family Part, to create a baseline and track the number of days it takes to move a juvenile or domestic violence case from initiation to conclusion.

The Team
Jennifer Webb-McRae – County Prosecutor, CCPO
Kevin Guinan – Executive Assistant Prosecutor & Chief of Staff, CCPO
Matthew Rudd – Special Agent for Strategic Planning & Programs, CCPO
Tracy Swan – Public Safety Reform Strategist, CCPO

The Problem
DeKalb County, Georgia, has experienced a disturbing increase in crime since the onset of the COVID pandemic, with a record 250 homicides in 2022. This rise in crime has coincided with a significant reduction in police officers, severely impacting the resources available for investigating serious crimes—including human trafficking, labor trafficking, and internet crimes against children. Additionally, the presence of multiple smaller police agencies in the county has led to disjointed efforts in addressing human trafficking and hindered effective collaboration and information sharing.

The Solution
The DeKalb County District Attorney's Office (DCDAO) is using their Smart Prosecution/Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) grant to bolster their efforts in combating human trafficking and internet crimes against children by hiring a specialized HT/ICAC investigator. This investigator will act as a central liaison and coordinate with multi-disciplinary agencies to identify cases and guide investigations, while staying abreast of evolving trafficking trends. Additionally, the grant will fund advanced technological resources like Cellebrite, TraffickCam, and Axiom to enhance intelligence gathering and data analysis, thereby improving operational efficiency and effectiveness in supporting victims and prosecuting offenders. The DCDAO will also expand and forge new partnerships with local law enforcement agencies, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, the Georgia Bureau of Investigations, and other non-law enforcement agencies to combat HT/ICAC more effectively and provide training to maximize each agency’s capacity in prosecuting these crimes.  

The Evaluation
The success of the DCDAO’s project will be evaluated through several key metrics—including number of prosecutors and external law enforcement agencies trained, number of cases the investigator consults on, and number of HT/ICAC cases the office initiates during the grant. Additionally, the office will track the quantity of technological tools acquired by HT Unit to enhance and expand case investigations, how many HT/ICAC victims receive specialized services through the Victim-Witness Assistance Program, and the number of media spotlights the HT Unit or HT/ICAC investigator receive.  

The Team
Edward Chase—Director of Special Victims Unit, DCDAO
Tabitha Pazmino—Deputy Chief ADA and Head of Sexual Exploitation and Crimes Against Children Unit, DCDAO
Tracey Enderson— Deputy Chief Investigator, Special Victims Unit & Juvenile Division, DCDAO
Casey Benton— HT/ICAC Investigator, DCDAO
Roz Harris—Grants Director, DCDAO
Claire Chaffins—Director of Communications and External Affairs, DCDAO
Lisa Myers—Deputy Director of Communications, DCDAO 

The Problem
Over the past few years, Dutchess County, NY has had to adjust their operations to conform with bail and discovery reforms as well as the “CSI effect”—the public’s expectation that prosecutors use technology to present evidence in a sophisticated manner at trial. The increased demand for technology to be used at trial and turned over to the defense has made it more difficult for prosecutors to ensure the identities of victims and witnesses are protected. The tools used to redact identifying information are cumbersome and not automatic, which in turn leads many victims and witnesses to decline to participate in prosecution for fear of being identified.  

The Solution
The Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office (DCDAO) believes that better technology can more efficiently protect victim and witness identities, as well as facilitate successful evidence-based prosecutions that do not rely on victim or witness testimony. Thus, the office is using their Smart Prosecution/Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) grant funds to support two crime analysts and several pieces of technology.  

 Specifically, the IPS team will deploy Flock license plate cameras at strategic locations to identify vehicles traveling near crime scenes and use BriefCam video analytic software to efficiently parse through video evidence collected from these cameras and other sources. The team will then use Axon Investigate video playback software to review video footage and prepare video exhibits for trial. Finally, the DCDAO will deploy OSCR360 imaging software at crime scenes to capture 360-degree images and preserve them in formats which can be used in prosecutions. The crime analysts will help investigators analyze the digital evidence collected by these tools and prepare the information to be presented during trial.  

The Evaluation
The IPS team will evaluate the success of their project based on several measures tracked through their case management system. First, the DCDAO will compare the number of violent felony incidents which are unsolved due to lack of sufficient eyewitnesses or other evidence both before and after the technology solutions have been implemented. Second, the team will measure the total hours of video available to the DCDAO and compare the time it takes to manually review these videos with the time saved using software tools like BriefCam and Axon Investigate Pro. Finally, the office will track the number of cases in which the new technology and software is utilized and whether it was used to develop, corroborate, or refute case witnesses.  

The Team
Frank Petramale–Unit Chief, DCDAO
Aviv Segal–Deputy Unit Chief, DCDAO
Andrea Tegtmeier—Crime Analyst, DCDAO
Jenna Salmonese—Crime Analyst, DCDAO
Heidi Owens–Accountant, DCDAO 

The Problem
Homicide rates in East. St. Louis, Illinois, are 28 times the national average. With budget cuts and reallocation of resources, the State Attorney’s Office has been unable to modernize its office and case management system. Without updated technology, prosecutors have a limited ability to meaningfully track criminal offenders without having to go through a burdensome process across multiple software interfaces.  

The Solution
The St. Clair County State's Attorney’s Office (SAO) is creating an Office Modernization and Targeted Enforcement Initiative. This initiative will maximize prosecutorial efforts, in conjunction with local, state, and federal investigative agencies, to combat violent crime. The IPS grant will fund a dedicated Assistant State Attorney (ASA) who will work alongside the Illinois State Police Public Safety Enforcement Group (PSEG) and East St. Louis Police Department (ESLPD) to identify “hot spots” in the city and prioritize violent offenders  prosecutorial focus. In addition, the SAO will purchase and implement Prosecutor by Karpel (PbK). The project ASA, along with all attorneys and support staff, will utilize PbK to digitize relevant information needed to track Priority Violent Offenders (PVOs). PbK will provide a platform for the communication of relevant information to the other ASAs so that SAO will coordinate the formulation of criminal dispositions that are both fair and just while contributing to the overall safety of the community. The new software will also create office-wide efficiencies by transitioning into a paperless file system, thereby allowing office staff and attorneys to make better use of limited time resources. With an increase in overall efficiency, the office can dedicate more resources to the problem of violent crime in East St. Louis.  

The Evaluation
Performance data will be collected by an assigned support staff member in conjunction with the dedicated ASA. Data that will be collected includes: the number of warrants reviewed for vertical prosecution; the number of cases charged; the rate of charging, the number of cases in which federal prosecutors are consulted to determine the best venue for criminal prosecution; the number of cases in which the designated ASA collaborates with other ASAs to leverage active investigations or prosecutions to eliminate hot spots, prosecute PVOs and/or prosecute individuals associated with known criminal groups; and the number of attorneys, staff, and victim advocates trained.  

The Team
Jason Emmanuel – Criminal Division Chief, St. Clair County State’s Attorney Office 
Daniel Lewis – First Chair, St. Clair County State’s Attorney Office 
Derek Smith – Assistant State’s Attorney, St. Clair County State’s Attorney Office
Phenika McGuire – Accountant, St. Clair County Auditor’s Office

The Problem
The Lorain County Prosecutors Office (LCPO) serves a population of over 300,000 in Northeast Ohio. LCPO has eleven criminal prosecutors. Six of these prosecutors are assigned to an average caseload of 200 cases. A number of LCPO’s cases include charges for violent crimes against children, but none of the prosecutors are able to focus on those cases as a priority and specialization. Child victims present challenges to the justice system, and it is important to establish trust and understanding within these cases at the outset. These cases require specialized knowledge and unique skillsets, and a prosecutor who is specialized to handle those cases can support more efficient case development and proceedings in complex cases.  

The Solution
Using its funding from the Smart Prosecution – Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) grant, LCPO will appoint a prosecutor to become a Special Unit Prosecutor to take over all of the violent crimes against children cases. The Special Unit Prosecutor will also focus on the collection and analysis of data within these cases in order to help develop case strategies and policies. This will lead to increased efficiencies in the handling of these cases. The LCPO will also use IPS funds to hire a Technical Criminal Paralegal to assist the Special Unit Prosecutor with grant activities and goals.  

The Evaluation
The LCPO will utilize the Matrix case management system to collect case data and run reports routinely. The Criminal Division Chief will also form a Data and Reporting Committee (DCRC) to develop a Data Collection and Reporting Strategy to implement the data collection, analysis, and reporting plan. The DCRC will update that strategy regularly as a living document to be updated regularly based on feedback from staff, information learned, recommendations from Matrix, and work with the community. Staff will be surveyed on the data collection every six months to identify other data report possibilities and provide future direction.  

The Team
Chris Pierre, Criminal Division Chief, LCPO
Olivia Herbert, Criminal Administrative Supervisor, LCPO
Tina Kishman, Assistant Prosecuting Attorney, Special Unit Prosecutor, LCPO
Kaylee Carter, Fiscal Officer, LCPO
Julie Delaney, Paralegal, LCPO
Anna Evans, Victim Advocate, LCPO  

The Problem
Child sexual abuse material (CSAM) cases are on the rise everywhere, including in Broward County, Florida. The 17th Judicial Circuit in Broward County (SAO 17) tracks CSAM cases and tips that are presented to it, and the number of CSAM cases presented to SAO 17 has almost doubled in the past five years. The Cyber Crimes Unit (CYU) within SAO 17 handles all CSAM cases, and the exponential increase in caseload has created a need for additional resources and support for the CYU. SAO 17 plans to use its Smart Prosecution – Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) Grant to improve the effectiveness of SAO 17 to address the growing number of CSAM cases within Broward County.  

The Solution
SAO 17 plans to use its IPS funds to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of its policies, processes, and procedures; increase and improve its use of technology in investigating and prosecuting CSAM cases; and form solid partnerships with law enforcement and community agencies. A new database will also be created to track information that the SAO 17 collects about CSAM cases.  Finally, two personnel additions will be made using grant funds. A legal assistant will be hired to assist with tracking CSAM cases and collecting data required to document progress towards SAO 17’s goals and objectives, and an investigator will be hired to help with pending cases and conduct necessary follow-up investigations.  

The Evaluation
The IPS project will increase SAO 17’s capacity to address CSAM crimes by hiring necessary personnel, acquiring updated technology, and building strong relationships with law enforcement and community partners. The project’s impact will be measured using a series of indicators representing various facets of SAO 17’s enhanced capacity to prosecute CSAM cases. These indicators will capture the quantity, quality, and processing outcomes of CSAM cases referred to the SAO 17. Data will be used for formative evaluation and to create a report to determine if goals and objectives are being achieved as well as to identify areas which need additional improvement.  

The Team
Carlos Vazquez – Fiscal Administrator
Amanda Graham – Prosecutor 
Brianca Grant – Data Analyst/Legal Assistant
Lilian Spamer – Fiscal Director 
Justin Griffis – Prosecutor
Rob Mauro – Investigator/Forensic Examiner  

The Problem
The Superior Court of Fulton County designated the District Attorney as the evidence custodian for all criminal trial evidence, but the designation is without resources. As the evidence custodian, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office has retained thousands of case files and pieces of evidence over the years. None of the evidence has been tracked, an online file management system is needed.

The Solution
The Fulton County District Attorney (FCDA) is building an evidence storage system with the hiring of an Investigator to lead, locate and create system. The FCDA is contracting with FileonQ to scan and track evidence. Physical evidence and files will be stored in a designated, secure location. The site is also creating policies and procedures on evidence storage and retention that can be used as a guideline for other jurisdictions.

The Evaluation
The Evidence Team will evaluate the evidence location, collection, and performance measures, create analysis reports of monthly results, and share the results with the District Attorney. Data collection will include surveys and interviews with prosecutors at various stages of the project to better understand how the new system has helped with case processing and outcomes in the Conviction Integrity Unit, the Public Integrity Unit, and the Appeals Unit.

The Team
William Clark — Assistant Chief, Evidence Division, FCDA
Michele Henry — Grant Writer, FCDA
Natalie Zellner — Chief Assistant District Attorney, Lobbying & Grants, FCDA

The Problem
The Honolulu Weed & Seed Initiative is an interagency collaboration of the City and County of Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney (PAT) and the Honolulu Police Department (HPD) that aims to "root-out" criminal elements and "plant" revitalization efforts to lessen crime in the Kalihi-Palama-Chinatown districts of Honolulu. Currently, many of the W&S misdemeanor cases are not entered into PAT’s database management system, Prosecutor by Karpel (PbK), due to a voluminous number of case referrals from HPD and a lack of staff to enter the data into PAT’s PbK. PAT plans to automate the process of transferring case referrals from HPD to PAT’s PbK to improve staff productivity, reduce human input errors and automate the service of subpoenas, increase the data shared with neighbor island prosecutors’ offices to coordinate the prosecution of defendants who commit crimes in the state of Hawaii. 

The Solution
The Honolulu Department of the Prosecuting Attorney (PAT) is using the IPS grant to begin modernizing PAT’s management information systems (MIS) and creating linkages to HPD's MIS while working to design, implement, and innovate data-driven Weed & Seed strategies that integrate geospatial mapping and geo-tracking technologies. The objectives include documenting existing MIS applications systems, including systems infrastructure, data, and existing data sharing linkages, and capabilities that may improve the data sharing and transfer of case referrals and the evaluation of the Weed & Seed Initiative. Having the necessary data in a timely manner is critical for improving operations, aiding effective and efficient crime reduction, and evaluating interagency initiatives such as the Weed & Seed. 

The Evaluation
The project partners, including PAT, the Honolulu Police Department (HPD), and the University of Hawaii Telecommunications and Social Informatics Research Program (TASI) will develop a detailed plan for the collection of data that will provide meaningful performance indicators that will comply with the terms of the federal grant, guide the project in assessing its performance, and inform future programs to foster improvements and progress. Project partners will work together to develop shared benchmarks and performance measures. PAT, HPD, and UH TASI will collect data on working group meetings, meeting outcomes; the number of training events and number of personnel trained; software launch outcomes, testing outcomes, and linkages/interfaces built. 

The Team
Steven S. Alm – Prosecuting Attorney, PAT
Cheryl Inouye – Senior Advisor to the Prosecuting Attorney, PAT
Paul Mow – Chief of Staff, PAT 
Lola Salimova – Grant Manager, PAT 
Nelson Hara – Manager, Information Systems, PAT 
Dr. Norman Okamura – University of Hawaii, TASI
Amihan Camson – University of Hawaii, TASI
Miguel Brostom – University of Hawaii, TASI 

The Problem
The State of Alaska’s Department of Law Criminal Division (LAW) works to administer equal justice across the vast state of Alaska, facing unique challenges due to the state’s size, population, and general remoteness. These challenges extend to LAW’s necessary functions, including the storage, collection, and distribution of discovery. Different law enforcement agencies have different processes, and an incalculable number of hours is spent dealing with discovery, and errors are frequent and unavoidable. Discovery issues result in delays of trials and other important hearings, which in turn results in a delay of justice.

The Solution
To combat the issues it faces with discovery, LAW plans to use its Smart Prosecution – Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) funds to build a “bot legal assistant” (bot) that can do rote office work consistently and without error. The bot would take on time consuming and tedious duties, such as opening cases, transferring discovery, and sending email reminders to law enforcement officers about hearings. The bot, once built, will generate reports so that claims of missing discovery can be easily traced and corrected if necessary, reducing the amount of time needed to review discovery or filings.  

The Evaluation
This project will require routine data collection which will be categorized into three broad types: internal reports, external reports, and reports to stakeholders. LAW will observe certain performance measurements such as the percentage of inquiries that the bot is able to resolve without human intervention, how quickly the bot completes the inquiries, and how accurately the bot completes the inquiries. Eventually, the bot will generate its own data and reports, and those reports will directly address performance measurements so that LAW can respond appropriately and adjust as needed in order to meet the goals of the IPS grant.  

The Team
Angie Kemp – Attorney 
Ella Magallanes – Grant Manager
Grace Lee – Attorney  

The Problem
The Lake County State’s Attorney’s Office (LCSAO) operates a Cyber Lab within its Cyber/White Collar Crimes Division which supports local and state law enforcement in their criminal investigations involving electronic devices. While all types of electronic devices are brought to the Cyber Lab, mobile devices have been the most prevalent—and the number of cell phones collected continues to grow. Unfortunately, the Cyber Lab has been increasingly limited in its ability to unlock and extract data from mobile devices, and has estimated turning away approximately 70% of newer Android devices and 65% of iOS devices. In the two years prior to the Smart Prosecution: Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) grant application, over 200 phones were returned without a forensic examination due to a lack of critical software.  

The Solution
LCSAO is using the Smart Prosecution/IPS grant to purchase a two-year license with GrayKey by GRAYSHIFT, a forensic tool for Android and iOS mobile devices that can access and extract data from phones seized during the commission of a crime. The office will also be investing in a four-year license with a cloud-based program called Monolith Forensics to serve as a digital evidence case management tool to help the Cyber Lab track data from the devices processed. Together, the LCSAO believes that this technology will increase the processing capacity of Cyber Lab and benefit all regional law enforcement agencies by providing them with more digital data to track the movement of suspects, connect interrelated crimes, and identify the creation of violent crime hotspots.  

The Evaluation
The Cyber Lab will conduct an analysis to determine the impact of the Smart Prosecution/IPS grant on the LCSAO’s ability to identify, extract, and utilize digital evidence in criminal prosecutions. Among other measures, the lab will track a device’s intake date, type, model, days to successful data extraction, size of file extracted, case deposition, and days to disposition to determine how successful the new software has been. As of July 2023, 280 cell phones have been successfully processed by the Cyber Lab—amounting to a 400% increase from 2022.  

The Team
Joseph Fusz – Chiefs of Cyber Crimes Unit and Special Investigation Division
Rob Beach – Cyber Investigator 
JB Brooks – Cyber Lab Director
Lexi Brown -Cyber Analyst / Trial Technologist

The Problem
Digital evidence is an essential part of criminal investigation and prosecution. By reviewing data created, distributed, and possessed on smartphones, computers, and third-party sources (e.g., social media, call detail records), law enforcement can assess a suspect’s identity, intent, movements, and other relevant aspects of a criminal case. The amount of information can be overwhelming and most prosecutors lack the training and experience to identify and use digital evidence effectively. Because the Louisiana District Attorneys Association (LDAA) estimates conservatively that digital evidence is involved in at least 80% of criminal cases, efficient examination and presentation of digital evidence would enhance the disposition of cases, whether by plea, trial, or dismissal. However, 73% of all judicial districts in Louisiana are rural and on average have only 3.8 prosecutors (compared with 22.7 prosecutors in urban areas). Thus, the amount of information can be overwhelming, and many prosecutors lack the experience,  training, and tools to use digital evidence effectively. 

The Solution
In response to this problem, the LDAA and its partners will conduct a needs assessment of all Louisiana judicial districts, and select prosecutors from each region to train and equip with the tools necessary to collect, analyze, and use digital evidence. The team believes that these specialized prosecutors will be instrumental in improving the digital evidence practices of their jurisdictions, and can serve as a resource for their colleagues and other allied professionals who come into contact with this type of data. Each prosecutor selected will also be provided with a forensic laptop and analytic software to increase their district’s digital evidence processing capabilities, and will be trained on that software to enhance the use of digital data. 
In addition to this assistance, the LDAA team will also develop a nationally replicable training curriculum—complete with sample policies and procedures—to help any prosecutor’s office improve its handling and use of digital evidence. The curriculum will address issues such as identifying potential data sources, the legal process needed for collecting evidence, how to properly analyze data, and how to effectively present digital evidence during plea negotiations or at trial. Additionally, the written policies and procedures will assist prosecutors in framing local practices around accessing and using digital evidence, and help structure the data collection and analysis process. 

The Evaluation
The LDAA team will develop a pre- and post-training assessment to evaluate the effectiveness of the pilot training, utilizing a set of short- and long-term training outcome measures, such as knowledge of digital evidence sources of data and methods of presenting the data at trial. 

The Team
Katherine Hansen – Senior Deputy District Attorney and Digital Evidence Specialist, 17th Judicial District Attorney's Office (Adams and Broomfield Counties, Colorado)
Roxie Barrios Juneau – Assistant Director, LDAA
Dale Polozola – IT Director, LDAA 
Bruce Burge – Software Developer, LDAA
Joseph Remy – Assistant Prosecutor, Special Victims Unit, Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office
Robert Peters – Former Prosecutor, Founder of Coursing Justice 
Jessica Hyde – Digital Forensics Examiner & Founder, Hexordia
Kris Hamman – Executive Director, Prosecutors’ Center for Excellence 

The Problem
Violent crime remains the greatest challenge for Manhattan’s law enforcement. In 2019, the top five violent felonies charged by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office were serious assaults, robberies, burglaries, weapons possession, and sex crimes. Prosecutors need up to date technology in order to and focus resources on high crime areas and prolific offenders.

The Solution
The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office (DANY) is using Innovative Prosecution Solution (IPS) grant funds to enhance intelligence-driven prosecution by modernizing its Crime Strategies Unit (CSU). The office is using technology, intelligence, and data in innovative ways to focus resources on the people and places associated with high concentrations of crime. Increased use of Geographic Information System (GIS) software, including both the use of spatial data as evidence and the presentation of high-quality professional maps as exhibits, can help increase the effectiveness of individual prosecutions. In addition to responding to violence on a case-by-case basis, working with larger spatial datasets can help the Assistant District Attorneys (ADAs) from DANY’s CSU to perform targeted outreach to law enforcement and community partners. To assist in these goals, DANY is purchasing upgraded licenses for Adobe and Omnivore, a forensic video capturing tool. DANY is also purchasing data analysis and mapping tools, specifically ESRI ArcGIS. Lastly, the site is revamping its written policies and procedures to ensure sustainability.

The Evaluation
DANY’s Strategic Planning and Policy Unit (SPP) is collecting data to measure the project’s performance and sustainability. As the in-house policy unit of DANY, SPP will bring their expertise in grant management and data analytics to continually measure the impact of the program.

The Team
Shawn McMahon – Chief, CSU, DANY
Mary Ostberg – Deputy Chief, CSU, DANY
Sarah Ward – Strategic Data Analyst, CSU, DANY
Lorena Michelle — Deputy Director of Administrative Services, DANY
James Sowell — Chief Financial Officer, DANY
Rachael Alexandroff — Deputy Director of Analytics, Data Analytics and Research Unit, DANY
Sorrel Stetson — Senior Planning and Policy Analyst, Data Analytics and Research Unit, DANY

The Problem
The Montgomery County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) serves the 14th Judicial District in Southeast Kansas and handles all criminal, traffic, Care and Treatment, juvenile, and Child in Need of Care cases for the county. The office is required to manage and share a great deal of case information with several entities on a daily basis—including, but not limited to, law enforcement agencies, the defense bar, and the district court. However, because many of the systems used by these organizations are not compatible with the MCAO’s current case management software, the office is unable to effectively communicate with its partners.  

The Solution
In response, the MCAO is using Smart Prosecution: Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) grant funds to purchase new laptops and scanners, as well as implement PROSECUTORbyKarpel (PbK) as its new case management system. These technological upgrades will enable the MCAO to better send and receive data, provide cloud-based storage and backup of its files, support the transition to a paperless office environment, comply with discovery obligations electronically, and generate metrics regarding services provided to the community. Taken together, these improvements will help the MCAO operate more efficiently, and allow it to direct resources where they can have the greatest impact on ensuring that criminal justice is served in Montgomery County. 

The Evaluation
The IPS team will examine performance data to evaluate the new technology’s impact on office functioning—such as time savings in data entry and case processing, enhanced communication with crime victims and witnesses, reduction in declined cases due to inaccessibility of evidence, and cost savings in paper/ink/file purchases. Feedback will guide how the software is modified to best serve the MCAO and its community going forward. 

The Team
Melissa Johnson – County Attorney
Karen Miller – Assistant County Attorney
Lisa Goins – Office Manager

The Problem
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation is the fourth largest Federally Recognized Tribe in the United States. The Prosecutor’s Office is struggling to adequately maintain key operations due to antiquated technology, thus hindering their ability to effectively manage caseloads. Further, the Supreme Court holding in McGirt v. Oklahoma, 140 S. Ct. 2452 (2020) has increased the Prosecutor’s Office’s case load four-fold. Without modern computer equipment, the Prosecutor’s Office will not be able to effectively prosecute cases to ensure the protection of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation and people residing within the reservation. 

The Solution
The Muscogee (Creek) Nation Office of the Attorney General Prosecutor’s Office (Prosecutor’s Office) is using the IPS grant to modernize and enhance the office’s casefiles, hardware, and information technology. The Prosecutor’s Office currently does not have a digital case management system and will transform the office into a completely paperless system through the purchase of Prosecutor by Karpel (PbK). With PbK, the Prosecutor’s Office will digitize cases for remote access, secure files in a centralized location, and provide prosecutors with the ability to manage and triage cases faster. The Prosecutor’s Office will also upgrade computer equipment to be utilized by the prosecutors, support staff, and new hires. By modernizing the Prosecutor’s Office, the site aims to prosecute cases in a faster, more efficient manner thereby decreasing overall caseloads. 

The Evaluation
The Prosecutor’s Office will be evaluate the modernization initiative’s effectiveness by collecting data on the time for court filings and case dispositions, the number of case files digitized, the number of prosecutors trained to utilize PbK, and the number of cases prosecutors are managing. The Prosecutor’s Office will review both administrative data and qualitative data to identify how the new case management system and equipment purchases have improved office efficiency and caseload reduction.  

The Team
Kevin Dellinger – Interim Attorney General, Muscogee Creek Nation Office of the Attorney General Prosecutor’s Office
Chris Layman – IT Contractor 
Shalee Cook – Senior Grants Writer, Muscogee Creek Nation Planning & Grants Department
Olivia Lombard – Office Manager, Muscogee Creek Nation Office of the Attorney General Prosecutor’s Office
Zechariah Harjo – Interim Secretary, Muscogee Creek Nation Office of the Attorney General Prosecutor’s Office

Coming Soon

The Problem
In 2022, the California Legislature passed new legislation, California Penal Code  § 13370, which requires law enforcement and prosecution agencies to gather complete, accurate, and timely data in a uniform format, and to make that data available to the public in a modern, open, and electronic format. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office (OCDA) serves a population of 3.1 million people across an area of almost 800 square miles, and it currently does not have the technological capabilities to fulfill these new obligations as required by the legislature.

The Solution
OCDA will use its Smart Prosecution – Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) grant funding to modernize its technology and data element collection. OCDA will modernize data collection and storage, leverage business intelligence, and create data dashboards designed for data transparency. Doing so will allow OCDA to enhance its ability to prevent and respond to crime, increase public safety and trust in the criminal justice system, engage community stakeholders, and improve internal operations. First, OCDA will develop enhanced application programming interfaces (APIs) between OCDA’s case management system (CMS) and law enforcement agency (LEA) data collection systems known as Report Management Systems (RMS). Next, OCDA will create a data warehouse specifically designed to collect and unify data elements. By attaching the warehouse to powerful software analytic tools, OCDA will use business intelligence to identify areas within the community that require more resources to prevent and respond to crime and analyze office-wide operations to improve case management efficiency and reduce caseloads. Finally, OCDA will create publicly accessible data dashboards to improve data transparency with the community.

The Evaluation
Project performance will be measured by compliance with the new legislative requirements and other data collection requirements, as well as acceptance by OCDA’s Policy Advisory Committee and other stakeholders. Additionally, both internal and public data dashboards will be created, and any operational modifications resulting from the Project will be tracked and analyzed for effectiveness.

The Team
Amy Tallakson, Senior Deputy District Attorney, Science and Technology Unit
Billy Chan, Senior Technology Services Manager and Project Manager
Lori Stevens, Grants and Agenda Staff Report (ASR) Administrator
Dr. Katie Parsons, Research Manager/Consultant
Andrew Katz, Assistant District Attorney, Science and Technology Unit
Ed Lee, Chief Information Officer
Michael Paone, Deputy District Attorney, Science and Technology Unit
Angela Lee, Senior Business Analyst
Chau Tran, Business Analyst
Lisa Teberg, Business Analyst
Nicole Mizerek, Business Analyst

The Problem
The District Attorney’s Office of Winnebago County, Wisconsin, has struggled with insufficient access to data resources and analytical tools. The office does not have the financial resources to invest in its own data infrastructure, leading to a gap in research expertise, data analytics, and data tools necessary to recognize crime patterns an disparities in its operations and those of associated agencies. Better access to its jurisdiction’s data will support the office’s decisions to improve public safety, charge fairly and appropriately, better manage cases, and inform diversion.  

The Solution
Using grant funds from IPS, the District Attorney’s Office is building a sustainable data-management and research infrastructure to better serve the community. Working with a team from NYU, the office will conduct a needs assessment of its data infrastructure, including hardware and connectivity requirements. The creation of a data interface system designed specifically for this office will allow for effective recordkeeping, case-management, data-management, and reporting systems.  

The Evaluation
The District Attorney’s Office will oversee the data collection of this project. NYU will maintain a database of interviews with staff and IT specialists, and of technical and legal documents on IT specifications concerning security, standards compliance and accessibility, and the office will conduct external activities to get community feedback. The prosecutor-dedicated tools will be accessible through a front-end browser interface with capabilities to visualize data and automate statistical analyses. The back-end data analysis and functionality will be expanded as the project develops and the team learns what additional statistical techniques and analytical products our lawyers most need. NYU will work closely with the office to develop the user interface and ensure optimal use of the data tools developed, prepare lawyer-friendly user manuals and how-to instructional videos, and deliver live demonstrations. 

The Team
Jonathan Kulick
Molly Roffers-Susa
Catilin Weihing

The Problem
Downtown Portland is a hot spot for crime. The area has consistently seen an increase in violent crime by high volume system users (HVSUs), individuals who generate multiple calls for service from the community and are frequently arrested.  

The Solution
The Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office (MCDA) is enhancing its Strategic Prosecution and Services Unit (SPSU) so it can focus on violent HVSUs who require specialized approaches. MCDA is hiring a Project Deputy District Attorney (DDA) who will be assigned to the SPSU. With the IPS grant, the MCDA will maintain manageable caseload sizes by transferring open HVSU cases to the new Project DDA. MCDA also seeks to lower violent HVSU arrest rates by referring offenders to community services. The Project DDA will strengthen community partnerships by attending meetings with community stakeholders, such as neighborhood associations, business groups, law enforcement agencies, and community service providers. 

The Evaluation
The newly hired DDA is using data tracking software to input and track HVSU information, sentences, probation compliance, social service referrals, and overall project performance. MCDA’s Research and Evaluation Unit will complete an analysis of the data collected using CRIMES records to track the success and failure of identified HVSUs.  

The Team
Nathan Vasquez — Senior Deputy District Attorney, SPSU Supervisor
James Kim — Project Deputy District Attorney, SPSU, MCDA
Caroline Wong — Deputy District Attorney, MCDA
Veronica Ngi —Finance Grant Manager, MCDA 

The Problem
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Santa Barbara County (SBC) has seen a significant uptick in violent crimes. The Santa Barbara District Attorney’s Office (SBDA) finds itself facing the resource-intensive undertaking of combating and reducing violent crime. One important element of the criminal justice process is the collection and sharing of discovery. Currently, the SBDA is struggling to ingest and process the evidence contained in new, voluminous discovery due to the influx of body worn cameras and advancement in video, cellphone, and other high-tech evidence. The current processes are manual, time consuming, and inefficient. The SBDA is operating with an outdated case management system (CMS) that does not have the functionality or versatility to handle the current flow of digital evidence.

The Solution
To solve its discovery technology problem, the SBDA will use its Smart Prosecution – Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) grant funds to implement a digital evidence management software (DEMS) capable of establishing a unified and automated process. The DEMS will streamline the flow of evidence from law enforcement to other criminal justice partner agencies. It will expedite both the defense’s access to digital evidence and the disposition of cases.  Internally, this will also allow Deputy District Attorneys to be able to review and process this evidence more expediently, which will allow for better and more efficient outcomes in criminal cases. Additionally, the SBDA Digital Evidence Task Force will work to develop clear policies and procedures for transmitting, accepting, storing, and protecting digital evidence. The Task Force will also assess data needs relative to system capabilities to identify and avoid potential gaps. Recurring meetings with criminal justice partners will be held to ensure that a forum exists for any concerns or issues to be discussed and resolved.

The Evaluation
Once a DEMS is selected and implemented, the SBDA will analyze how the new DEMS is streamlining the transmission and management of digital discovery. SBDA will monitor the amount of data transferred through the DEMS and use this to create efficiencies in case management. Further, the SBDA will examine the number of times that supplemental discovery requests must be submitted to law enforcement as well as the amount of time it takes for evidence to be transmitted to defense as performance measures to gauge the success of the DEMS.

The Team
Michael Soderman, Chief Financial and Administrative Officer, SBDA
Anne Nudson, Chief Deputy District Attorney, SBDA
John DeAlba, Department Business Specialist, SBDA
Nicole Myung, Business Manager, SBDA

The Problem
Caddo Parish has a rising crime rate and the Caddo Parish District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting more than 1,000 violent crimes a year. The office has limited access to the GrayKey system, a leading provider of mobile device digital forensics. Due to this limited access, the office can only utilize GrayKey for homicides and 1st degree rape cases only. Further, the turnaround time for forensic evidence can take up to two months.  

The Solution
The Caddo Parish District Attorney's Office (CPDAO) is using the IPS grant to purchase a two-year license with GrayKey by GRAYSHIFT, allowing full access to extract vital information from suspect, witness, and victim cell phones. Full access to GrayKey will provide same-day access to cell phones, thereby ensuring timely identification of suspects and prosecution. Increased access to GrayKey will enhance the prosecutor's ability to effectively prevent and respond to crime, especially violent crime, by getting search warrants signed and executed quicker through the collection of forensic evidence. Through increased access to innovative technology and forensic intelligence, the CPDAO will collaborate with law enforcement to identify suspects earlier and make quicker arrests. This will also lead to more thorough and just prosecutions with stronger evidence and an overall reduction in caseloads. 

The Evaluation
CPDAO’s Forensic Investigator will collect data, track performance, and track outcome measurements through Magnet ATLAS. Magnet ATLAS is a web-based case management solution that brings together all information in a case, from evidence to lab resources to examination procedures, ensuring the chain of custody remains intact and all investigations can be reviewed. The Forensic Investigator will track evidence inventory and case details such as: intake date, requesting agency, type of crime, search warrant or consent, device type and description, device storage capacity, and release time.  

The Team
Laura Fulco – First Assistant District Attorney, CPDAO
Tyler Sheets – Forensic Investigator, CPDAO 
Katie Roy – Assistant Administrator, CPDAO 
Arielle Clark – Administrator, CPDAO

The Problem
Somerset County District Attorney’s Office is struggling to adequately maintain key operations due to antiquated technology, thus hindering their ability to effectively manage caseloads. Without a modern case management system, the office will not be able to effectively prosecute cases. 

The Solution
The Somerset County District Attorney’s Office is using the IPS grant to replace an outdated data management system with a modern case management software. The site will create an Administrative Assistant position to oversee the implementation and usage of the new software platform. The successful implementation of the proposed project will reduce caseloads to manageable levels by updating its information technology, thereby unifying and automating processes that currently have to be performed manually. The SCDA will also improve its ability to accurately collect data regarding criminal trends at a community level. This will permit the development of a statistically supported application of resources targeting community-specific issues, crime reduction, and overall caseload management.  

The Evaluation
The SCDA will be evaluate the modernization initiative’s effectiveness by collecting data on the time for court filings and case dispositions, the number of case files digitized, the number of prosecutors trained to utilize the software, and the number of cases prosecutors are managing. The SCDA will review both administrative data and qualitative data to identify how the new case management system and equipment purchases have improved office efficiency and caseload reduction.  

The Team
Molly Metzger – Acting District Attorney, SCDA 
Rebecca Canavan – Director of Finance, SCDA  
Travis Hutzell – Resource Development Director, United Way

The Problem
The South Carolina Commission on Prosecution Coordination (SCCPC) collects and analyzes prosecution and criminal justice data from the sixteen individual Circuit Solicitor's (prosecutors’) offices, and distributes it to the state legislature and criminal justice partners. Currently, the SCCPC does not have a software system to help aggregate and disseminate this data, and relies on an outdated data reporting process that requires manual entry of data.

The Solution
In order to more efficiently process incoming information, the SCCPC is developing and implementing a Prosecution Data Collection System to automate the majority of their reporting process. The system will standardize data entry from the various Circuit Solicitors’ offices, and enable the SCCPC to more efficiently evaluate that information through automatic integration and analysis. To compliment this system, the Commission will also hire a second Database Administrator to assit in overseeing the complex task of building and maintaining the database, and serve as a technology liason with the different prosecutor’s offices in the state. Ultimately, these improvements will allow prosecutors to spend more time on their caseloads, and enable the SCCPC to more effectively track criminal justice information and utilize it for reporting or training purposes.

The Evaluation
The Project Director and the Database Administrator are responsible for assessing project performance and evaluating the project’s effectiveness. They will collect data on the number of circuits that have submitted all requested data via the Prosecution Data Collection System, the number of prosecutors who have received trainings on the Prosecution Data Collection System, and the average caseload number for the current fiscal year versus prior fiscal year.

The Team
Lisa Catalanotto – Executive Director, SCCPC
Andrea Sancho-Baker – Director of Business Services & Communications, SCCPC
Tina Thompson – Finance Manager, SCCPC
Charlie Brown – Database Administrator

Coming Soon

The Problem
The City of Tulsa in Tulsa County has both a violent crime rate and a property crime rate that is more than 2.5 times the national rates. Twenty percent of offenders were responsible for fifty percent of referrals to the Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office. These serial offenders have cases spread over multiple dockets with different dates, judges, and prosecutors assigned, therefore overloading the court system, and contributing disproportionately to caseloads that are unmanageable for prosecutors. 

The Solution
The Tulsa County District Attorney’s Office (TCDA) is creating a Crime Strategies Unit (CSU), which will use innovative and data-driven practices to modernize prosecution within the office, increase prosecution efficiency and effectiveness, and decrease the rates of property crime and violent crime. Two dedicated and experienced prosecutors will oversee the operationalization of the CSU. The CSU will implement a focused deterrence model to address repeat offenders of violent and property crimes. By focusing on those individuals who commit serial property offenses, the CSU aims to indirectly reduce violent crime. Property crimes can lead to future violent crimes, contribute to economic depreciation that fosters violent crime, and overburden TCDA prosecutors with unmanageable caseloads, thereby decreasing the time they have to effectively prosecute violent crimes. Additionally, the CSU is expanding the TCDA’s community partnerships and extending social services to repeat offenders. 

The Evaluation
The Crime Data Analyst will utilize Prosecutor by Karpel (PbK) to oversee the project’s performance measures, produce reports on CSU activities, track crime trends, and measure the effectiveness of focused deterrence strategies. The CSU team will report on the number of repeat offenders and crime rings prosecuted and the types of public relations events and communications conducted.  

The Team
Steve Kunzweiler – District Attorney, TCDA
Jerry Truster – Assistant District Attorney, TCDA 
Luke Thompson – Assistant District Attorney, TCDA
Joy Clark – Grant Project Manager, TCDA
Hannah Chong – Data Analyst, TCDA
Sara Kuchta – Finance Officer, TCDA

The Problem
The expansion of digital communication means there are continuing hurdles for law enforcement and prosecutors when securing and extracting digital evidence to prosecute criminals. Like many law enforcement agencies around the country, the Evansville Police Department (EPD) located in Vanderburgh County, Indiana, lacked the necessary funding, equipment, and manpower to extract and examine digital evidence on their own. Often, devices would have to be sent to the state lab, which was swamped with requests. This created a backlog of requests for the extraction of digital evidence of up to 9 months, which prevented EPD from gaining timely access to critical digital information needed for active investigations. 

The Solution
The Vanderburgh County Prosecutor’s Office (VCPO) established a cyber-crimes unit and used its Smart Prosecution: Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) grant to enhance the capabilities of the unit with the tools and personnel to extract digital evidence more efficiently. The VCPO used grant funds to purchase forensic tools to extract and analyze digital evidence, hired a full-time Criminal Investigator to process digital devices, funded a part-time intern investigator to review digital evidence, and partnered with local universities to research the effectiveness of the lab. 

The Evaluation
The lab has been a resounding success. As of October 2023, the lab has processed 2068 pieces of electronic evidence, which have yielded over 70 terabytes of data. Furthermore, the lab has an 88% success rate of getting into devices within three to four business days. These accomplishments have grown the lab’s reputation as a fast and effective resource for obtaining digital evidence. In fact, the lab has served 38 different law enforcement agencies, including the Secret Service, ATF, and DEA. 

The Team
Ellora Daily – Administrative and Outreach Coordinator
Winston Lin – Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney 

Coming Soon

The Problem
Many of the cases prosecuted within Waukesha County are complex computer-enabled financial cases, but the Waukesha County District Attorney’s Office (WCDAO) is understaffed. The number of cases continues to rise, but the amount of state and local resources available to handle these cases has failed to keep pace. In order to effectively and efficiently prosecute their rising caseloads, the WCDAO needs additional personnel and technology to improve investigations and significantly reduce the amount of time necessary to process case documents.  

The Solution
The WCDAO will use its Smart Prosecution: Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) grant funds to create a Cyber Unit team within the office. Specifically, the office will hire a dedicated cybercrime prosecutor, a part-time intern to review jail calls, and support staff to assist with discovery demand. In addition, the WCDAO will purchase several types of software to better manage and analyze cases—including Adobe Pro to help bate stamp all discovery-related materials, ScanWriter to convert financial documents into Excel spreadsheets to avoid manual data entry, and Microsoft Power Bi to support with crime mapping and analysis. Finally, the office will invest in equipment for new positions, such as portable DVD writers, docking stations, and monitors. These cyber-related tools will give the unit the necessary technology to connect the dots between the suspect and the victim, link a suspect’s digital evidence to the alleged cybercrime, and reduce the office’s backlogged cybercrime cases. 

The Evaluation
The WCDAO will utilize the office’s existing case management system to examine the impact of the grant on how many referrals are received, the length of time from the referral of a cybercrime case to a charging decision, the length of time from a charging decision to disposition, how quickly discovery obligations are met, the number of cases assigned to each prosecutor, and the reduction in the case backlog. 

The Team
Susan L. Opper – District Attorney 
Alyssa Schaller – Assistant District Attorney 
April DeValkenaere – White Collar Crime Certified Paralegal, Grant Administrator 
Julie Moelter – Office Services Coordinator

The Problem
During the 2018-19 school year, the number of citations and arrests of juveniles in Anne Arundel County increased by 20 percent from the previous school year. The number of crisis interventions in Anne Arundel public school systems for social and emotional issues has doubled since 2013. There is an ongoing need for preventative services to ensure that youth in the public school system do not end up in the juvenile justice system. 

The Solution
The Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office (SAO) is creating the Juvenile Justice Collaborative Outreach Project. The SAO will receive referrals from the Anne Arundel County Crisis Response Team, the Anne Arundel County Public School System, and the Anne Arundel County State's Attorney's Juvenile Prosecution Team. The site has hired a Licensed Certified Professional Counselor as case manager. The Counselor will also refer juveniles to additional services such as behavioral support services, mental health evaluations, drug evaluations and treatment, and trauma-informed therapy. With a collaborative and holistic approach, the SAO aims to decrease the number of juveniles expelled, decrease the number of juveniles incarcerated, and increase safety within the county’s schools and community.   

The Evaluation
The Counselor will maintain data, track all crisis intervention referrals, and maintain a log of all counseling sessions and referrals. The log will include demographic information such as gender, race, age, and zip code; services provided to each referral; and outcomes achieved throughout the project. 

The Team
Anne Colt Leitess – State Attorney, Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office (SAO)
Ann Potthast – Assistant State Attorney, SAO
Heather Stone – Management Assistant, SAO
TBD –Licensed Certified Professional Counselor, SAO

The Problem
There are large wealth disparities in Arlington County and the city of Falls Church, VA, leading to poverty, crime, and lack of opportunity for traditionally underserved communities. Many youth are at risk of truancy, delinquency, drug use, mental health issues—and eventually, criminal behavior in adulthood. Traditional prosecution has been insufficient to address the underlying causes of delinquent and criminal behavior and the needs of individuals victimized by crime. 

The Solution
The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney (OCA) is establishing a restorative justice (RJ) program to enhance public safety and restore trust between the community and the criminal justice system. Led by a full-time director, the program enables prosecutors to evaluate the suitability of cases for RJ and to refer out eligible cases where appropriate and with the victim’s agreement. OCA has partnered with Restorative Arlington, a community-based nonprofit, to determine victim needs; facilitate conferences between victims, defendants, and other affected individuals; and monitor participant’ progress toward any commitments made in conferencing. Cases resolved successfully through Restorative Arlington are dismissed by the OCA.  

The Evaluation
With the assistance of data analysts, the OCA will collect and analyze both quantitative and qualitative data to assess participants’ satisfaction with the restorative justice program.  

The Team
Grace Woodward — Director of Restorative Justice and Diversion Services, OCA
Kecia Evans — Office Administrator, OCA 

Coming Soon

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The Problem
Recent studies have yielded plenty of evidence showing that young adults are fundamentally different from juveniles and older adults in their brain development and in how they process information and make decisions. The traditional justice system is not designed to address cases involving offenders in this age group. 

The Solution
The St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office (CAO) has implemented a diversion program for defendants ages 18 to 25 who presented a moderate risk of reoffense. Participants are selected using the Ohio Risk Assessment System and a strict set of eligibility criteria. Once in the program, the young adults plead guilty to the crimes committed, regularly appear before a diversion judge, and are monitored by experienced probation officers. The program works with each of these young adults to identify their needs and future goals and make appropriate referrals for healthcare, education, training, and employment. Once participants successfully complete their program requirements, their guilty pleas are withdrawn and charges are dismissed. 

The Evaluation
Researchers at St. Louis University and Arizona State University assessed how the diversion program was implemented and helped analyze which aspects of the program were most effective in addressing the needs of young adults.

The Team
Aja Corrigan — Victim Witness Specialist, St. Louis CAO
Scott Decker — Foundation Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Arizona State University
Noelle Fearn, Ph.D. — Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, St. Louis University
Megan Kraatz — Former Diversion Coordinator, St. Louis CAO
Joshua Lubatkin — Diversion Coordinator and Assistant Circuit Attorney, St. Louis CAO
Sarah Phillips — Former Director of Victim Services, St. Louis CAO
Khatib Waheed — Former IPS Diversion Manager, St. Louis CAO

The Problem
Washington, D.C. has experienced high rates of recidivism among the area’s youth and young adults.

The Solution
The District of Columbia’s Office of the Attorney General (DCOAG) has created and implemented a restorative justice (RJ) program aimed at reducing the risk of reoffending among individuals between the ages of 12 and 24 who have committed low-level offenses (e.g., unlawful entry, theft). Upon the victim’s consent, DCOAG facilitates a mediation process between the victim, the offender, and their families, which includes an in-person conference during which the defendant admits wrongdoing and apologizes to the victim; a conference agreement requiring the defendant to take certain actions to make amends to the victim; and at least a six-month monitoring period to ensure compliance with the RJ agreement. By addressing the underlying causes of the offender’s actions, the program aims to empower victims while putting at-risk youth on a more productive and law-abiding path. 

The Evaluation
To assess the impact of the RJ program on victims and offenders, researchers at the Center for Court Innovation (CCI) surveyed and formally interviewed participants. The program’s evaluation process included data-driven performance metrics that measured recidivism rates after participation in the program.

The Team
Seema Gajwani — Special Counsel on Juvenile Justice Reform, DCOAG
Roman Haferd — Restorative Justice Coordinator, DCOAG
Dana Kralstein — Associate Director of Research, CCI