Effectiveness of Selective Prosecution By Career Criminal Programs, Executive Summary

• NCJ Number: 101764
• Author(s): J F Springer; J L Phillips; L P Cannady
• Date Published: 1985
• Length: 28 pages
• Grant Number(s): 83-IJ-CX-K019
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Justice (NIJ); US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: University City Science Ctr; EMT Group, Inc.
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This 1983 study describes the career criminal programs in seven U.S. jurisdictions (selected because of program differences) to portray the range of policy options for designing and implementing programs for the selective prosecution of career criminals.

Abstract

Results show the diversity in local applications of the selective prosecution concept in terms of program objectives, selection criteria, program organization, and program management. All programs, however, target some subset of their criminal caseload for an enhanced prosecution effort. The programs reviewed are located in Cook County, Ill.; Dade County, Fla.; Knox County, Tenn.; Monroe County, N.Y.; Multnomah County, Oreg.; Philadelphia, Pa.; and San Mateo County, Calif. The report also reviews strategies adopted by prosecutors in these jurisdictions to achieve their career criminal program objectives. These strategies focus on case management decisions pertaining to selected cases at intake, the accusatory phase of case processing, trial, and disposition. Local factors such as caseloads, available personnel, and funding shape each program. The report does not recommend a particular program design, but portrays the policy options available to local prosecutors. 3 tables.