NCJ Number
12379
Date Published
1973
Length
92 pages
Annotation
MANUAL PRESENTING AN INTRODUCTION TO THE PROSECUTOR'S SCREENING FUNCTION AND PROPOSING PRACTICAL GUIDELINES FOR THE PROSECUTOR TO FOLLOW IN INSTITUTING SUCH A POLICY.
Abstract
AS WELL AS PROVIDING AN INTRODUCTION TO THE 'SCREENING' FUNCTION, THIS MANUAL DEVELOPS PRACTICAL GUIDELINES WHICH CAN EFFECTIVELY REDUCE THE NUMBER OF CASES WHICH CONTINUE ALONG THE EXPENSIVE AND TIME CONSUMING ROUTE TO TRIAL. SCREENING AT THE EARLIEST POINT IN THE PROCESSING REDUCES POLICE INVESTIGATIVE WORK ON CASES THAT SURELY WOULD BE DROPPED LATER AND HELPS STRENGTHEN CASES THAT PROCEED TO TRIAL. THE MANUAL STRESSES THAT THE SCREENING PROCESS SHOULD BE GIVEN HIGH PRIORITY IN THE PROSECUTION STRUCTURE. THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FUNCTION DEMANDS THAT IT BE STAFFED BY SENIOR TRIAL PERSONNEL AND NOT ENTRUSTED TO INEXPERIENCED PROSECUTORS WITHOUT THE EXPERTISE TO CONFIDENTLY MAKE THE PROPER DECISIONS AT THIS EARLY STAGE OF THE JUDICIAL PROCESS. THE VOLUME INCLUDES AN OFFICE DESIGN FOR A SCREENING OPERATION, SUGGESTED RECORDS AND INFORMATION THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO THE PROSECUTOR SCREENING ACCUSED PERSONS, AND TECHNIQUES FOR EVALUATING THE OVERALL PROGRAM. THE MANUAL ALSO PRESENTS FORMAL CASE EVALUATION TECHNIQUES BASED ON A THEORY OF BROAD PROSECUTORIAL DISCRETION TO GUIDE THE PROSECUTOR IN THE ACTUAL DECISION-MAKING PROCESS. IT IS SUPPLEMENTED WITH NUMEROUS FORMS NOW IN USE AND EVALUATIVE DATA FROM PROJECTS IN FIFTEEN DEPARTMENTS NATIONWIDE. THIS CONCISE, WELL-WRITTEN MANUAL WILL PROVE HELPFUL TO PROSECUTORS INSTITUTING OR REASSESSING SCREENING PROGRAMS. (SNI ABSTRACT)