NCJ Number
159173
Date Published
1995
Length
53 pages
Annotation
This report evaluates the methods used in Wisconsin to allocate district attorney positions.
Abstract
There are currently 360.5 authorized full-time equivalent state prosecutor positions in Wisconsin, costing the State $28.4 million in fiscal year 1994-1995. The current distribution of district attorney positions is largely attributable to county staffing decisions made before the transfer to State employment. States generally use one of two methods to measure prosecutor workload, i.e., by measuring indicators that influence workload, and by measuring workload directly. Wisconsin has adopted a weighted caseload measure that provides accurate and comparable information for most types of cases. However, differences in the amount of time necessary to prosecute some case types are distorted by the weighting system. Some case types are excluded from the measure and the information for case types that are included gives credit to prosecutors for cases handled by local corporation counsel. This paper recommends ways in which the State Prosecutors Office can adjust the current caseload measure to improve its overall accuracy. 8 tables and 5 appendixes