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 accountability 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 Reserving incarceration for serious offenders

 

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

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

Publications

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

Jacksonville, FL

Office of the State Attorney for the 4th Judicial Circuit
  • Serving Clay, Duval, and Nassau Counties, 1.2 million residents
  • Melissa Nelson, State Attorney since 2017
  • Office size: 116 attorneys and ~35,000 cases filed annually
Philadelphia, PA
Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office
  • Serving Philadelphia County, 1.5 million residents
  • Larry Krasner, District Attorney since 2018
  • Office size: ~352 attorneys and ~40,000 cases filed annually
Tampa, FL
Office of the State Attorney for the 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
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
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
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

The Team

Besiki Luka Kutateladze

Florida International University

Don Stemen

Loyola University Chicago

Rebecca Richardson

Florida International University

Melba Pearson

Florida International University

Ana Carazo

Florida International University

Lin Liu

Florida International University

Branden DuPont

Medical College of Wisconsin

David Olson

Loyola University Chicago

Learn More

Funders

Funders

Advisors

Marlene Biener – Association of Prosecuting Attorneys

John Chisholm – Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office

Tina Chiu – New York City Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice

Reagan Daly – Institute for State and Local Governance

Aisha Edwards – MacArthur Foundation

Lauren-Brooke Eisen – Brennan Center for Justice

Gipsy Escobar – Measures for Justice

Kim Foxx – The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office

Laurie Garduque – MacArthur Foundation

Oren Gur – Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office

David Harris – University of Pittsburgh

Kim Hindman – Office of the State Attorney, 13th Judicial Circuit

Jamila Hodge – Vera Institute of Justice

Michael Hollander – Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office

Michael Jacobson – Institute for State and Local Governance

Brian Johnson – University of Maryland

Larry Krasner – Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office

Miriam Krinsky – Fair and Just Prosecution

David LaBahn – Association of Prosecuting Attorneys

Kent Lovern – Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office

Melissa Nelson – Office of the State Attorney, 4th Judicial Circuit

Lisa Page – Office of the State Attorney, 4th Judicial Circuit

Meg Reiss – Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office

Matthew Saniie – Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office

Steve Siegel – Office of the State Attorney, 4th Judicial Circuit

Cassia Spohn – Arizona State University

Stephan Thomas – Prosecutor Impact

Anthony Thompson – New York University

Andrew Warren – Office of the State Attorney, 13th Judicial Circuit

Daniel Wilhelm – Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation

Scarlett Wilson – Office of Solicitor for the Ninth Judicial Circuit

Jane Wiseman – Ash Center for Democratic Governance and Innovation

Ron Wright – Wake Forest University

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