NCJ Number
237038
Date Published
2011
Length
23 pages
Annotation
This report provides information to prosecutors to enable them to select appropriate performance indicators for community prosecution initiatives.
Abstract
This report was developed to aid prosecutors in their selection of performance indicators to monitor the effectiveness of community prosecution initiatives. Community prosecution is a broad term used to describe strategies other than traditional prosecution to address problems in the community, to improve interagency coordination, to make prosecution more efficient, and to expand the presence of prosecutors in the community. The report includes a table listing five potential goals of community prosecution program: community engagement, problem-solving, effective case administration, public safety, and interagency partnerships. Each goal is linked to a set of objectives that can be measured using performance indicators showing progress in achieving the desired goals. Performance indicators for community prosecution that have been identified in previous research include: 1) target problems, 2) geographic target area (which may, but is not always confined to specific neighborhoods), 3) role of community, 4) content of response to community problems, 5) organizational changes within prosecutor's office, 6) case processing adaptations, and 7) interagency collaboration and partnerships. Performance indicators are quantitative in nature and should be able to answer a relatively straightforward yes or no question. The final section of the report briefly explains each of the five goals and its associated objectives. References