Ensuring a Reliable and Effective Criminal Justice System

Description

The goal of this workshop is to help states and local jurisdictions make improvements in criminal justice policies and practices that can reduce the possibility that innocent persons will be convicted and increase the likelihood that the guilty will be found and convicted. The workshop is designed for interdisciplinary teams - for, example, a law enforcement official, prosecutor, defense attorney, judge, crime lab director or other forensic expert, victims' group leader, and legislator - from states or local jurisdictions that are interested in examining current practices and making improvements to address flaws identified. Four sets of innovations and issues are addressed:

• Best or promising practices in criminal case investigation and prosecution, including practices with respect to eyewitness identification and recording of interrogations
• Standards for forensic laboratories and the use of scientific evidence
• The organization, quality, and funding of defense services
• The roles of state and local commissions in examining and improving system operations

The workshop is very interactive, with a strong emphasis on peer-to-peer learning based on experience. Each participating team will be expected to identify key issues in its jurisdiction and develop an action plan to address them.

JMI's Experience with this Curriculum

JMI developed and presented a two and a half day workshop on this topic for teams from eight states with funding support from the Open Society Institute. Some of the participating states have already initiated significant changes in their laws and practices as a result of the program. A report on the project, including a description of the workshop and curriculum, is available from JMI.

Adapting the Curriculum for Your Jurisdiction

The core curriculum including materials and exercises, have already been developed. The curriculum can be adapted for teams of practitioners from a single state (for example, teams from several jurisdictions plus the state level) or from several states. In planning such a program, it is helpful to have an advisory group consisting of leading practitioners from the agencies and institutions directly involved in criminal case processing. Where possible, the members of such an advisory group can also serve as faculty at the workshop along with other JMI faculty.

Presentation Options

The curriculum was originally designed to be two and a half days in length. A similar program could be presented in as short as one and a half days, covering fewer topics. JMI can also present much shorter modules, covering specific topics, at conferences or state association meetings.

Contact

Barry Mahoney at bmahoney (at) jmijustice.org