| Community prosecution programs have been introduced in several prosecutors' offices throughout the country to achieve community outreach, assign cases to prosecutors by neighborhood rather than in the order they arrive, and to encourage prosecutors to spend more time in the community.. often working more closely with the police, Common features of these programs include redirection of service outside the court, with more sensitivity to the cultures and special needs of those served, greater focus on crime prevention, and closer collaboration with prosecutors in other jurisdictions. This paper raises the following questions about these programs and their efficacy.- Are the goals and objectives of community prosecution appropriate? Axe the programs set up to achieve those goals? What can be said about the efficacy of the programs based on the available evidence? What additional evidence is needed? How might the public best be served by prosecutors, if not through community prosecution? _ |
Updated 05/20/2006