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                            Funding & Awards
 The Anatomy of Discretion: An Analysis of Prosecutorial Decision-Making in County Prosecutors' Offices
Award Information
Awardee
              Vera Institute of Justice Inc
Award #
              2009-IJ-CX-0040
Funding Category
              Competitive
Location
                    Brooklyn, NY
Congressional District
              7
Status
              Closed
Funding First Awarded
              2009
Total funding (to date)
              $393,564
Original Solicitation
              NIJ FY 09 ORE Crime and Justice Research
Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2009, $393,564)
This research examines the influence of extra/legal factors on decisionmaking and case outcomes in two prosecutors offices that vary in management structure and other ways.  Administrative data on cases screened between 1/2005 and 12/2009 provide information on offense type and severity, defendant and victim characteristics, strength of evidence, arresting agency, judge, counsel, prosecutor characteristics, and case outcomes (n=50,000 felony and n=46,500 misdemeanor cases using PROTECT in Milwaukee; n=15,000 felony drug and n=50,000 nondrug felony using MeckStet in Mecklenburg). Mass administrations of an anonymous survey onsite collect opinions on prosecution objectives, organization and community relations, training, oversight and management (n=125 line, 23 supervisor, 5 deputy, and chief in Milwaukee; n=75 line, 7 supervisor, 2 deputy and chief in Mecklenburg).  Mass administrations of anonymous factorial surveys assess decisionmaking and reasons in response to 30 unique case vignettes randomly varied on extra/legal factors. Decisions stages include screening, plea, and sentencing; factors vary on multiple defendants, victim, and case characteristics. A total of 14 focus groups are conducted in the two sites, in two waves by prosecutor level (inexperienced/midcareer, supervisor, deputy) to develop vignettes and then to interpret findings on how factors are evaluated, and how in/formal mechanisms regulate decisions.
ca/ncf



  
Grant-Funded Publications
        
                      NIJ’s Courts Research: Examining Alternatives to Incarceration for Veterans and Other Policy Innovation
                                                                      NIJ Journal,
                  Anatomy of Discretion: An Analysis of Prosecutorial Decision Making - Summary Report
                  Anatomy of Discretion: An Analysis of Prosecutorial Decision Making - Technical Report
                  Anatomy of Discretion: Criminal Justice Professor Don Stemen Explains a Vera Institute of Justice Analysis of Prosecutorial Decision Making (Video: Part I of IV)
                  Anatomy of Discretion: Federal Judge Theodore McKee Discusses Consistency in Prosecutorial Decision Making (Video: Part III of IV)
                  Anatomy of Discretion: Law Professor Anthony Thompson Discusses How Factors Other Than Strength of Evidence Should Influence Prosecutors' Decisions (Video: Part IV of IV)
                  Anatomy of Discretion: Prosecutor Anne Swern Discusses the Influence of Resource Constraints on Prosecutors' Decisions (Video: Part II of IV)




  
Grant-Funded Datasets
        
                      http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR32542.v1

  
Date Created: September 21, 2009
    
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