View our collection of webinars, templates, written resources, and sample research and assistance below.

Publications

Making the Most Out of Your Innovative Prosecution Solutions Grant

This resource seeks to share lessons learned for overcoming challenges common to IPS grantees—and for strengthening both the internal capacity of prosecutors' offices and the partnerships between prosecutors, researchers, crime analysts, other collaborators, and TTA partners.

Developing an Evidence Base for Your Innovative Prosecution Strategy

This brief article discusses how prosecutor-led teams can use data in the development of their strategies and programs to develop effective, economical, and innovative responses to crime within their jurisdictions.

The Prosecutors' Guide for Reducing Violence and Building Safer Communities

Informed by a roundtable of experienced  prosecutors from around the country, this Guide provides a systematic way for prosecutors’ offices to evaluate their practices with respect to the key elements of a successful violent crime reduction strategy.

This Guide is intended to enable the executives responsible for operating a prosecutor’s office to identify policies and practices that can be readily implemented, as well as those that represent actionable goals to work toward. It suggests practices that are customizable and scalable, from foundational to enhanced, depending on an office’s available resources and experiences, as well as jurisdiction-specific needs and challenges.

The Problem-Solving Prosecutor: Modern Variations on the Crime Strategies Unit

This resource illustrates the expanding role of the prosecutor and offers guidance on the development or enhancement of intelligence-driven prosecution through a Crime Strategies Unit (CSU) or like-minded programs. Based in part on interviews with prosecutors, crime analysts, and other specialists in the field, the resource discusses strategies for building foundational partnerships, methods for gathering data and intelligence, and ways in which data can inform and support investigations and prosecutions.

Seeking Justice and Solutions: A Prosecutor's Guide to Opioid Overdose Investigations

The opioid epidemic has presented prosecutors with new challenges and questions. Though the opioid crisis may be the result of various associated criminal actions, modern prosecutors acknowledge that addiction itself is a medical condition, not a crime. The prosecutor is faced with decisions on two fronts: how to address the criminal activity of drug sellers and how to treat the medical issues of drug users. The goal of this Guide is to provide options and to highlight innovative, effective strategies for improving prosecutors’ responses to overdose deaths. These responses range from providing access to treatment to prosecuting overdose deaths as homicides.

Newsletters

April 2021 - PDF

June 2021 - PDF

September 2021 - PDF

November 2021 - PDF

January 2022 - PDF

March 2022 - PDF

May 2022 - PDF

Webinars & Other Online Events

Disrupting Pill Mills

The opioid epidemic has devastated communities across the United States, resulting in hundreds of thousands of lives lost in the past two decades. In response, some state and local prosecutors have taken a data-driven approach to the crisis. This webinar spotlights the experiences of an Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) grantee’s efforts to tackle one troubling aspect of the opioid epidemic—doctors and pharmacists who inappropriately disseminate opioid medications. Tamara Holland of the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office in Texas discusses data-driven methods to identify and prosecute “pill-mill” practices, such as analyzing prescription history data through Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and overdose death data from medical examiners’ offices.

Transparency in Prosecution

This webinar spotlights Yolo County’s new criminal justice transparency portal, an innovative website created by the District Attorney’s Office, the Yolo County Multi-Cultural Council, and Measures for Justice (an organization that uses accurate criminal justice data to spur reform). The portal was developed to help the office analyze prosecution data and enhance trust with the community through transparency and accountability. It allows citizens an intimate glimpse into the prosecutorial process in Yolo County—including crime trends that are affecting their community; law enforcement resources in the area; and detailed case statistics pertaining to referrals, charging, diversion, and sentencing decisions. During this webinar, presenters give a live walkthrough of the portal, chronicle the process behind publicizing this data, and discuss their aspirations and policy goals driving this project.

Identifying the Predominant Aggressor and Evaluating Lethality

This presentation emphasizes the importance of contextual analysis in evaluating criminal responsibility at the arrest, charging, pre-trial, and sentencing phases. Such analysis will help to ensure that the dynamics of domestic violence are properly factored into decisions about arrest, charging, plea negotiations, and sentencing, and will enhance the quality of justice for those who have been victims of abuse. The presentation also discusses the importance of danger assessments and best practices in lethality evaluation.

First, Do No Harm: The Neurobiology of Trauma, and Trauma Informed Investigations

This presentation identifies barriers to successful interviews and explores techniques for overcoming them. The presenter explains how a traditional fact-gathering approach to interviewing can be counterproductive or even harmful to the victim and to the investigation. Alternative approaches to interviewing and questioning are identified and analyzed for their potential to minimize re-traumatization and enhance our ability to recreate the reality of the crime at trial. An emphasis is placed on integrating a trauma-informed response from the first contact with a victim through the conclusion of the case, with realistic goals for interviews and meetings at every stage of the process.

Identifying, Preserving, and Introducing Digital Evidence: #GUILTY

This presentation demonstrates how cyber investigations can be used to reveal evidence of criminal activity, as well as evidence of the power and control dynamics of an abusive intimate partner relationship, but while also supporting the protection of victim privacy. The presenter discusses theories of admission, rules of evidence, and case law are discuss using “real life” examples to demonstrate how to properly authenticate and introduce digital evidence in civil and criminal proceedings.

Countering Witness Intimidation: Forfeiture by Wrongdoing

Witness intimidation and manipulation factor into almost every domestic violence prosecution. Abusers engage in these tactics because they often work. When witness intimidation is successful, victims decline to participate in the prosecution, they minimize the abuse on the witness stand, or they testify on behalf of the abuser. But what if we eliminate the payoff for the would-be intimidator? This presentation focuses on forfeiture by wrongdoing as a solution in the case of witnesses who are unavailable for trial due to the offender’s wrongful conduct.

Funding Opportunity: Innovative Prosecution Solutions FY’20

This webinar discusses the solicitation for applications for funding for the U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance's FY’20 Innovative Prosecution Solutions for Combating Violent Crime (IPS) initiative. It includes a discussion of application eligibility and the application process, program requirements, and examples of previously successful proposals.

Opioids and Drug Delivery Resulting in Death

This webinar spotlights one office’s efforts to tackle the opioid crisis. Tonya Lupinacci of the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office in Norristown, PA discusses strategies that are broadly applicable to jurisdictions across the country, with a special emphasis on prosecuting Drug Delivery Resulting in Death and similar crimes.

Witness Intimidation Series

Witness Intimidation Part I: Enhancing Witness Safety — Preventing and Responding to Intimidation

Part I of the series discusses a coordinated system response to the challenges presented by witness intimidation. The presenter explores methods for enhancing victim and witness safety, improving witnesses’ ability to participate in the justice system, and holding offenders accountable at all stages of the criminal justice process.

Witness Intimidation Part II: Effective Use of Intimidation Evidence

Part II of the series discusses the identification, documentation, and effective use of evidence of intimidation at trial to hold offenders accountable. The presenter explores how to admit and present evidence to demonstrate the offender’s consciousness of guilt, to explain the absence of a witness, and to introduce an unavailable witness’s statements via the doctrine of forfeiture by wrongdoing.

Witness Intimidation Part III: Principles of Witness Protection

Part III of the series focuses on the key principles of witness protection, which include tactical considerations, addressing the trauma to the victim/witness, and supporting lifestyle changes. The presenter discusses the importance of determining whether an imminent and credible threat against the life of a victim/witness exists by utilizing a dynamic screening and threat assessment tool; understanding the impact of trauma on the path to change; and recognizing the signs of trauma in clients, families, staff, and others.

Digital Evidence Series

Digital Evidence Part I: The Investigative Stage — Recognition, Collection, Search

Part I of the series explores the different types and sources of electronic data that are available to investigators; how such data can be properly collected, regardless of whether it is in a physical device or electronic records; and methods to facilitate searching and seizing data.

Digital Evidence Part II: Now That You’ve Got it and Can Read It, What Can You Do With It?

Part II of the series discusses how legally-obtained data can be analyzed, depending on the type of data in question. Presenters also discuss strategies for effectively presenting data at trial.

IPS Learning Community Series

Part I: Introduction to IPS

This introductory webinar discusses the goals for the IPS project, and shares information, successes and challenges, and lessons learned from past projects related to gun, domestic violence, gang, human trafficking, and opioid crime. Recording not available.

Part II: Implementation Evaluations

This webinar discusses the importance of implementation and performance metrics, not only for grant monitoring, but also for informing outcome and impact evaluations.

Part III: Research-Practitioner Partnerships

This webinar discussed IPS participants’ experiences with researcher-practitioner partnerships in IPS and previous projects — focusing on the importance of initiating and fostering partnerships, utilizing cross-training between partners, and ensuring sustainability moving forward.

Part IV: Social Network Analysis

In the fourth webinar in the series, research partners from two IPS projects discussed how they are utilizing — or plan on utilizing – social network analysis (SNA) to aid in action research. View the discussion to learn more about the basics of SNA and how it can be used to better understand the relationships between opioid manufacturers, distributors, and overdose victims.

PCE Pop-Ups

Prosecutor Data Dashboards

The Prosecutor’s Center for Excellence (PCE) hosted a virtual pop-up event exploring the use of data dashboards in four prosecutors' offices across the county. Presentations from each office, the links to their respective dashboards, and other relevant materials are included below.

State Attorney's Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit - Jacksonville, FL

King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office - King County, WA

Philadelphia District Attorney's Office - Philadelphia, PA

Yolo County District Attorney's Office - Yolo County, CA

Empowering Ethical Prosecution

The Prosecutor’s Center for Excellence (PCE) presented a virtual pop-up highlighting ethical prosecution strategies from different prosecutor's office. The event included discussions on Brady obligations, the creation of internal ethical processes, and the role of an ethics officer. The presentations, PowerPoints, and other relevant materials are included below.

Chief Assistant District Attorney Timothy Koller - Richmond County District Attorney’s Office, NY

Professional Responsibility Advisor Cynthia Nakao - Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, CA

Tools & Templates

Witness Intimidation Survey

This resource can help prosecutors, victim advocates, and law enforcement educate victims about the dynamics of witness intimidation, uncover whether intimidation is occurring in their cases, and determine appropriate safety measures. The survey can also be used as an evidence gathering tool to support bail arguments, additional charges, forfeiture by wrongdoing motions, or conditions of release.

Information-Sharing Plan Template

This template can be utilized by IPS grantees to develop plans for sharing project information and data—with the implementation team, with research partners, with other stakeholders, and with the public. Please contact AEquitas for a Microsoft Excel version of this template.

Action Plan Template

This template can be utilized by IPS grantees to solidify key project strategies, establish a timeline, and develop an evaluation plan. Please contact AEquitas for a Microsoft Excel version of this template.

Sample Research & Assistance

Literature Review on Prosecutor-Led Diversion Practices

This bibliography provides an overview of law review articles, peer-reviewed publications, and technical reports that examine the background, history, goals and objectives, research findings, and implications of prosecutorial-led diversion practices.

Prosecutor-Led Youthful Offender Diversion Court Models

This fact sheet briefly describes two prosecutor-led youthful offender diversion programs in New York and South Dakota, and summarizes general findings and facts about prosecutor-led diversion in the United States.

Lessons Learned From Substance Use Related Mass Media Campaigns

This response to a request for technical assistance summarizes the methods and effectiveness of several media campaigns focused on reducing substance use behavior for both drugs and alcohol.

Anonymous Text Message Tips to Report Crime

This response to a technical assistance request discusses what legal or other issues may arise from the use of text messages to submit anonymous tips to law enforcement.

Perjury and Jurisdiction When Testimony Delivered via Two-Way Technology

This response to a technical assistance request examines whether the government can prosecute a witness for perjury in Michigan when where the witness testified out-of-state via two-way technology.

Legal and Ethical Issues with One-Person Grand Juries

This response to a technical assistance request examines the legal and ethical raised by a single judge serving on two separate one-person grand juries in Michigan.

Checklist for Locating a Material Witness

This response to a technical assistance request compiles a list of steps investigators can take when attempting to locate a missing witness. It includes several Michigan-specific resources.

Confidentiality Restrictions on Substance Abuse History

This response to a technical assistance request discusses the legal and ethical duties of an individual working in a prosecutor’s office to keep confidential a defendant’s or diversion participant’s substance abuse history.

Venue in Drug Delivery Resulting in Death Cases

This response to a technical assistance request analyzes existing venue laws in drug delivery resulting in death and equivalent cases.

The Legality of Electronic Service of Process

This response to a technical assistance request analyzes the current state of the law on electronic service of process.

Female Offender Dynamics in Gang-Related Crime

This response to a technical assistance request discusses female-on-female violence, particularly in the context of gang-violence or organized crime, and the aspects of a case that are most important when determining a female offender’s culpability.

Statutory and Constitutional Speedy Trial Rights in the Wake of the COVID-19 Pandemic

These three responses to similar technical assistance request look at the impact of COVID-19 on constitutional and state-level speedy trial rights.