NCJ Number
44683
Date Published
1977
Length
19 pages
Annotation
A PUERTO RICAN PROGRAM CREATING A SPECIAL UNIT TO PRESCREEN CASES BEFORE THEIR SUBMISSION TO THE COURTS IS EVALUATED TO DETERMINE WHETHER IT HAS MET ITS GOAL OF REDUCING ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEYS' WORKLOADS.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES OF THE INVESTIGATION UNIT, CREATED IN 1975, HAVE BEEN TO REDUCE THE ROUTINE WORK AND CASELOADS ASSIGNED TO THE ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEYS (ADA'S), IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF INVESTIGATIONS, REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF PENDING CASES, AND SERVE AS A TRAINING CENTER FOR POTENTIAL ADA'S. AN ANALYSIS OF INDICATORS OF PRODUCTIVITY REVEALED SUCH DEFICIENCIES AS: HIGH PERSONNEL TURNOVER; INADEQUATE TRAINING PROGRAMS; POSITIONS WHICH REQUIRE HIGHER SKILLS THAN THOSE POSSESSED BY THE PERSONNEL; AN INCREASE IN THE UNIT'S PROSECUTORIAL DUTIES, REDUCING ITS INVESTIGATIVE CAPABILITY; LOW MORALE; AND LITTLE INTERAGENCY COORDINATION. HOWEVER, IT WAS FOUND THAT ADA'S WERE SATISFIED WITH THE WORK BEING PERFORMED BY THE UNIT; THEY FELT THAT IT HAD CONTRIBUTED TO THE IMPROVEMENT OF INVESTIGATIONS AND SUCCESSFUL PROSECUTIONS. INDIVIDUAL ANALYSIS OF EACH OF THE UNIT'S OBJECTIVES SHOWED THAT: THE ADA WORKLOAD WAS REDUCED; THOSE CASES IN WHICH THE UNIT HAD PARTICIPATED SEEMED TO BE MORE COMPLETE; UNIFORMITY OF CASES WERE HIGHER AFTER THE UNIT WAS INSTALLED; AND THE NUMBER OF RESOLVED CASES HAD BEEN KEPT HIGHER THAN THE NUMBER OF NEW CASES. BASED ON THE EVALUATION, THE FOLLOWING STEPS WERE RECOMMENDED: AUGMENTATION OF STATE BUDGETARY RESOURCES FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE; DEVELOPMENT OF A FORMAL TRAINING PROGRAM INCLUDING CASE PREPARATION, ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES, AND USE OF FIREARMS; REEVALUATION OF CASE ASSIGNMENT PROCEDURES; ESTABLISHMENT OF AN INTERAGENCY COORDINATION PROGRAM; SUBMISSION OF LEGISLATION TO PROVIDE THE UNIT'S INVESTIGATORS WITH THE POWER TO ARREST; AND ESTABLISHMENT OF MORE QUALIFIABLE OBJECTIVES TO AID IN MONITORING THE PROJECT. (VA)