Ranking a close second was domestic violence, with 91 percent of prosecutors citing this violent crime as a workload problem. In domestic violence cases, prosecutors said victims often lose interest in prosecuting the offender, and this resulted in a large number of dismissals. More than 90 percent of the prosecutors surveyed cited drug possession and drug sales as causes of workload problems primarily because of the increase in number of cases handled. Ninety-three percent said that to expedite case processing, their jurisdiction had instituted drug treatment programs as an alternative sanction. This large percentage contrasts with the 33 percent in small jurisdictions who said they had a gang problem.
Agency initiatives Alternative sanctions.
Prosecutors gave mixed reviews to various initiatives developed as alternatives to incarceration. About 92 percent of prosecutors reported having work release centers in their jurisdictions, with 56 percent of them indicating their centers needed improvement. About 83 percent of prosecutors said electronic monitoring was used as an alternative sanction, but 64 percent noted improvements were needed. However, virtually all the additional, written comments from prosecutors supported electronic monitoring as a sentencing option for low-risk offenders. Special issues Information systems.