F R O M
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data and policies to increase
effectiveness and fairness in
four districts nationwide:
Hillsborough,
Chicago,
Jacksonville, and Milwaukee.
Last December, our research
partners released the first of
three project reports, which
summarized prosecutorial
attitudes about different
aspects of the criminal
justice system, including
goals, effectiveness, racial disparities,
and community engagement.
In July, we reached another critical
milestone in the FIU/MacArthur research project
with the completion of a report entitled Race, Ethnicity
and Prosecution in Hillsborough County. We know racial
disparities exist within the criminal justice system, and
that they undermine fairness and effectiveness. That
report addresses how much prosecutorial discretion
within our office is leading to racially disparate outcomes.
Researchers spent nearly two years gathering and
analyzing data from approximately 87,000 cases to
compare outcomes for black, white, and Hispanic
defendants across multiple stages of case processing,
including charging decisions, entry into diversion
programs, and sentencing. Although the report reveals
disparities, the disparities were not glaring. The report,
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HCBA LAWYER
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however, identifies several areas for further analysis
regarding racial disparities and beyond, such as
resource allocation and use of custodial sentences.
The next and final stage of this project is the
development of Prosecutorial
Performance Indicators (PPIs)
that will rewrite the blueprint
for how prosecutor’s offices
measure their success. PPIs will
allow our team to identify and
track the performance of this
office, giving us valuable tools to
improve public safety, minimize
racial disparities, effectively
allocate resources, and make better
decisions regarding charging,
diversion, and sentencing.
We are proud of the proactive
steps we are taking to evaluate
ourselves, the effectiveness of our work, and how we live
up to our mission to promote fairness and justice for
everyone and to keep our community safe. From day
one, we have embraced data-driven and evidence-based
policies to make that mission a reality. Our participation
in the MacArthur project puts Hillsborough County at
the forefront of innovation in our criminal justice
system. Working with our local law enforcement and
community partners, we are setting the standard for
prosecutor’s offices around the state and country to
follow in being accountable and transparent to the
communities they serve. n
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