NCJ Number
98351
Date Published
1985
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This overview of the Career Criminal Prosecution Program (CCPP), designed to incapacitate greater numbers of repeat and violent offenders, explains the goal and objective, plan development, implementation steps and issues, program results, and funding.
Abstract
The goal of the CCPP is to improve public safety and disrupt serious crime patterns through the effective prosecution of habitual offenders. The objective is to incapacitate greater numbers of these offenders by improving the prosecutor's ability to screen, prosecute, and monitor them. Critical elements of CCPP development are (1) the establishment of a separate CCPP unit and staff within the prosecutor's office, (2) prompt police referral of potential cases to this special unit, and (3) the establishment of screening criteria to determine if an offender and a case qualify for prosecution by the unit. Other critical elements of the program are the assignment of the same prosecutor to a case from beginning to end; limited plea bargaining; and coordination of the case with the police, courts, and corrections. Program implementation involves the development of the aforementioned critical program elements, i.e., the establishment of specific screening criteria, the designation of a special prosecutorial team, and the development of case-coordination procedures. A 1979 survey of approximately 75 career criminal programs showed that 92 percent of chief prosecutors and 87 percent of program directors rated their programs to be excellent or very good. Among the achievements cited were improved prosecutorial techniques and effectiveness. Some of the signs of this improvement were a reduction in the number of repeat offenders securing pretrial release, an increase in the conviction rate for the most serious charge, a reduction in the scope of plea negotiations, and an increase in the overall conviction rate. There was also an increase in the incarceration rate and the average sentence length. CCPP's are eligible for funding under the block grant program to the States at a 50-percent Federal funding level. Sources are listed for further information and assistance, and a performance report form containing performance indicators is supplied.