Prosecutorial Performance Indicators

A suite of modern indicators for prosecutors committed to measuring effectiveness, efficiency & fairness

The Prosecutorial Performance Indicators

  • Office management tool
  • Performance measurement tool
  • Transparency and community engagement tool

With a menu of 55 indicators, PPIs measure performance toward three goals: Capacity & Efficiency, Community Safety & Well-being, and Fairness & Justice. This website presents the indicators, guides, training materials, and sample data from partner offices to illustrate how the PPIs work in diverse jurisdictions.

View Indicators

Prosecutorial Performance Indicators are:

Impact Oriented
PPIs are used to have a real impact, not just to count numbers. They help prosecutors and communities flag problems, ask additional questions, develop solutions, and measure change over time.
Comprehensive
PPIs focus on a multilayered range of organizational objectives and prosecutorial roles. While meaningful individually, PPIs are interdependent and especially helpful when trends are viewed together.
Objective
PPIs are the result of an independent process for deciding what constitutes success. One should not decide how to measure their own success; otherwise everyone would be successful.
Responsive
PPIs are reflective of community expectations. People need safety and protection from violence, but they also demand accountability and transparency. Plus, community members want their taxes to fund effective and fair prosecution.
Data Informed
PPIs are based on data, not opinion. Data quality issues must be addressed before using the PPIs in your office, but your data are probably more useful than you think.
Free
PPIs are open and free to use. This website includes a complete list of indicators and implementation materials. Use them for the public good.

Capacity & Efficiency

Community Safety & Well-Being

Fairness & Justice

Organizational & Staff Capacity

1.1 Office felony and misdemeanor caseloads
1.2 Felony caseload distribution
1.3 Leadership and line prosecutor diversity
1.4 Staff retention rate
1.5 Clerical and paralegal capacity
1.6 Data and analytic capacity

Addressing Serious Crime

4.1 Violent crime prevention
4.2 Acquittal for violent crimes
4.3 Violent recidivism
4.4 Felony recidivism of diversioners
4.5 Escalation in offending
4.6 Treating serious crime the same across neighborhoods
4.7 Addressing the opioid epidemic

Racial & Ethnic Differences

7.1 Victimization of racial/ethnic minorities
7.2 Case dismissal by victim race/ethnicity
7.3 Case filing by defendant race/ethnicity
7.4 Pretrial detention by defendant race/ethnicity
7.5 Diversion by defendant race/ethnicity
7.6 Charging and plea offers by defendant race/ethnicity

Time & Resource Prioritization

2.1 Ability to identify dismissible cases at filing
2.2 Strategic case rejections at filing and dismissal
2.3 Prioritizing cases with the greatest public safety returns
2.4 Reserving incarceration for serious offenders
2.5 Accurate diversion decisions and placements

 

Protecting & Serving Victims

5.1 Victim support outreach
5.2 Speedy contact with victims
5.3 Avoiding victim coercion
5.4 Addressing violent victimization of children
5.5 Addressing victimization of the poor
5.6 Addressing sexual assault victimization

Minimizing Unnecessary Punitiveness

8.1 Avoiding unnecessary felony charges at filing
8.2 Diversion as an alternative to incarceration
8.3 Reducing reliance on pretrial detention
8.4 Avoiding felony incarceration when possible
8.5 Incarceration triggered by pretrial detention of the poor
8.6 Discretion over guidelines to avoid excessive penalties
8.7 Disproportionate punishment for the poor

Timeliness of Case Processing

3.1 Time to felony disposition
3.2 Efficient filing decisions for cases with pretrial detainees
3.3 Time to disposition for pretrial detainees
3.4 Conforming to ABA disposition time standards
3.5 Minimizing delays in case processing by limiting continuances
3.6 Dismissal timeliness

Community Outreach & Engagement

6.1 Accessibility of prosecutor’s office
6.2 Expanded crime reporting opportunities
6.3 Engagement with economically diverse communities
6.4 Prosecutorial participation in community events
6.5 Witness cooperation
6.6 Responsiveness to public records requests

Prosecutorial Ethics & Integrity

9.1 Procedural and ethics violations
9.2 Dedication to conviction integrity
9.3 Commitment to law enforcement accountability
9.4 Charging integrity
9.5 Discovery compliance

DOWNLOAD INDICATOR BROCHURE >

Capacity & Efficiency

Organizational & Staff Capacity

1.1 Office felony and misdemeanor caseloads
1.2 Felony caseload distribution
1.3 Leadership and line prosecutor diversity
1.4 Staff retention rate
1.5 Clerical and paralegal capacity
1.6 Data and analytic capacity

Time & Resources Prioritization

2.1 Ability to identify dismissible cases at filing
2.2 Strategic case rejections at filing and dismissal
2.3 Prioritizing cases with the greatest public
2.4 Safety returns
2.5 Reserving incarceration for serious offenders
2.6 Accurate diversion decisions and placements

 

Timeliness of Case Processing

3.1 Time to felony disposition
3.2 Efficient filing decisions for cases with pretrial             detainees
3.3 Time to disposition for pretrial detainees
3.4 Conforming to ABA disposition time standards
3.5 Minimizing delays in case processing by limiting           continuances
3.6 Dismissal timeliness

Community Safety & Well-Being

Addressing Serious Crime

4.1 Violent Crime prevention
4.2 Acquittal for violent crimes
4.3 Violent recidivism
4.4 Felony recidivism of diversioners
4.5 Escalation in offending
4.6 Treating serious crime the same across
     neighborhoods
4.7 Addressing the opioid epidemic

Protecting & Serving Victims

5.1 Victim support outreach
5.2 Speedy contact with victims
5.3 Avoiding victim coercion
5.4 Addressing violent victimization of children
5.5 Addressing victimization of the poor
5.6 Addressing sexual assault victimization

Community Outreach & Engagement

6.1 Accessibility of prosecutor’s office
6.2 Expanded crime reporting opportunities
6.3 Engagement with economically diverse
     communities
6.4 Prosecutorial participation in community events
6.5 Witness cooperation
6.6 Responsiveness to public records requests

Fairness & Justice

Racial & Ethnic Differences

7.1 Victimization of racial/ethnic minorities
7.2 Case dismissal by victim race/ethnicity
7.3 Case filing by defendant race/ethnicity
7.4 Pretrial detention by defendant
race/ethnicity
7.5 Diversion by defendant race/ethnicity
7.6 Charging and plea offer differences by defendant       race/ethnicity

Minimizing Unnecessary Punitiveness

8.1 Avoiding unnecessary felony charges at filing
8.2 Diversion as an alternative to incarceration
8.3 Reducing reliance on pretrial detention
8.4 Avoiding felony incarceration when possible
8.5 Incarceration triggered by pretrial detention
      of the poor
8.6 Discretion over guidelines to avoid excessive
      penalties
8.7 Disproportionate Punishment for the Poor

Prosecutorial Ethics & Integrity

9.1 Procedural and ethics violations
9.2 Dedication to conviction integrity
9.3 Commitment to law enforcement accountability
9.4 Charging integrity
9.5 Discovery compliance

DOWNLOAD INDICATOR BROCHURE >

Publications

From Felonies to Misdemeanors: Exploring Variations and Reason for Charge Reduction

Race and Prosecution in Broward County, Florida

Reject or Dismiss? A Prosecutor’s Dilemma

Prosecutor, Attitudes, Perspectives, and Priorities: Multnomah County

Race and Prosecutorial Diversion

Prosecutorial Performance Indicators Implementation Guide

Race, Ethnicity & Prosecution in Cook County, Illinois

Race, Ethnicity & Prosecution in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

Race, Ethnicity & Prosecution in Clay, Duval & Nassau Counties, Florida

Race, Ethnicity & Prosecution in Hillsborough County, Florida

Prosecutorial Attitudes, Perspectives, & Priorities-Insights from the Inside

Publications

From Felonies to Misdemeanors: Exploring Variations and Reason for Charge Reduction

Race and Prosecution in Broward County, Florida

Reject or Dismiss? A Prosecutor’s Dilemma

Prosecutor, Attitudes, Perspectives, and Priorities: Multnomah County

Race and Prosecutorial Diversion

Prosecutorial Performance Indicators Implementation Guide

Race, Ethnicity & Prosecution in Cook County, Illinois

Prosecutorial Attitudes, Perspectives, & Priorities-Insights from the Inside

Race, Ethnicity & Prosecution in Cook County, Illinois

Race, Ethnicity & Prosecution in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin

Race, Ethnicity & Prosecution in Hillsborough County, Florida

Race, Ethnicity & Prosecution in Clay, Duval & Nassau Counties, Florida

Prosecutorial Performance Indicators Implementation Guide

Partner Offices

Pilot Sites

Jacksonville, FL

Office of the State Attorney, 4th Judicial Circuit
  • Serving Clay, Duval, and Nassau Counties, 1.2 million residents
  • Melissa Nelson, State Attorney since 2017
  • Office size: 106 attorneys and ~35,000 cases filed annually

See Dashboard Here

Tampa, FL

Office of the State Attorney, 13th Judicial Circuit
  • Serving Hillsborough County, 1.4 million residents
  • Andrew Warren, State Attorney since 2017
  • Office size: 130 attorneys and ~27,000 cases filed annually

See Dashboard Here

Milwaukee, WI

Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office
  • Serving Milwaukee County, 950,000 residents
  • John Chisholm, District Attorney since 2007
  • Office size: 130 attorneys and ~10,000 cases filed annually

See Dashboard Here

Chicago, IL

Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office
  • Serving Cook County, 5.2 million residents
  • Kim Foxx, State’s Attorney since 2016
  • Office size: 700 attorneys and ~300,000 cases filed annually

See Dashboard Here

Partner Offices

Current Implementation & Network Sites

Santa Clara, CA

Santa Clara District Attorney’s Office
  • 1.924 million residents
  • Jeff Rosen, District Attorney since 2011
  • Office size: ~190 prosecutors
Charleston, SC
Ninth Circuit Solicitor’s Office
  • Serving Charleston & Berkeley Counties, 639,000 residents
  • Scarlett A. Wilson, Solicitor since 2007
  • Office size: 50 attorneys and ~12,000 cases filed annually
  • Disparity and Prosecution Report

Broward County, FL

Office of the State Attorney, 17th Judicial Circuit
  • Serving Broward County, ~2 million residents
  • Harold Pryor, State Attorney since 2021
  • Office size: 213 attorneys, 45,000 cases filed annually

 

Multnomah County, OR

Multnomah County District Attorney’s Office

 

Orange/Osceola County, FL

Office of the State Attorney, 9th Judicial Circuit
  •  Serving Orange/Osceola Counties (metro Orlando area), 1.4 million residents
  • Monique Worrell, State Attorney since 2021
  • Office Size: 155 attorneys and ~25,000 cases filed annually

 

Lake County, IL

Lake County State's Attorney's Office
  • Serving Lake County, 714,000 residents
  • Eric Rinehart, State’s Attorney since December 2020
  • Office size: 75 attorneys, ~9,000 cases filed annually
  • Lake County Dashboard

 

Montgomery County, MD

Montgomery County State's Attorney's Office
  • Serving Montgomery County, 1.1 million residents
  • John McCarthy, State’s Attorney since 2006
  • Office Size: 70 attorneys, ~12,000 cases filed annually
  • Local research partner: University of Maryland

 

New York, NY

New York District Attorney’s Office
  • 1.62 million residents
  • Alvin Bragg, District Attorney since 2021
  • Office size: 500 prosecutors

 

New Orleans, LA

New Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office
  • Serving New Orleans Parish, 390,000 residents
  • Jason Rogers Williams, District Attorney since 2021
  • Office Size: 65 attorneys
  • Local research partner: AH Datalytics
  • New Orleans Parish Dashboard

 

Colorado

Colorado Prosecutorial Dashboards

The Team

Besiki Luka Kutateladze

Florida International University

Don Stemen

Loyola University Chicago

Rebecca Dunlea

University of Massachusetts Lowell

Melba Pearson

Florida International University

Branden DuPont

Loyola University of Chicago

David Olson

Loyola University Chicago

Rachel Silverthorn

Florida International University

Eduardo Mendoza Montoya

Florida International University

Tierra Fulwood

Florida International University

Michael Hall

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