District Attorney’s Office Selected For Vera’s Reshaping Prosecution Program

This content was originally published by the Longmont Observer and is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

The District Attorney’s Office is committed to enhancing public safety, seeking justice in every case, and improving the justice system so that it meets the needs of our entire community. Across the country, communities have sought a new approach to criminal
justice, including an objective assessment of how their office’s practices impact systemic issues of racial inequity and mass incarceration.

Today, as part of the continuing effort to improve the justice system, the District Attorney’s
office announced a partnership with the Vera Institute of Justice’s Reshaping Prosecution
program. Chosen through a highly competitive process, the District Attorney’s Office
demonstrated a strong commitment to working to enhance policies and practices in order to further reduce mass incarceration, address racial disparities, and increase transparency and accountability to our community.

District Attorney Michael Dougherty issued the following statement, “Last year, I announced our commitment to work with an independent, outside organization to review data from the District Attorney’s Office in order to analyze and identify any disparities in charging and sentencing decisions. Our office is strongly committed to ensuring that the justice system is fair and equal for all. Today, I am extremely pleased to announce that the Vera Institute of Justice has agreed to partner with this office on this important effort. Vera was impressed by the work our office has engaged in to improve the justice system. I am very grateful to our staff for their continued commitment and to the many community partners that submitted letters of support.”

“Our nation is at a tipping-point where it’s now possible to confront the ways that traditional prosecution emphasizes vengeance over accountability and forge a new path for prosecutors to promote safety, uphold human dignity and pursue racial justice,” added Jamila Hodge, director of Vera’s Reshaping Prosecution. “We’re thrilled for the opportunity to work with three new partner offices and ensure they have the resources and support they need to reimagine the role of the prosecutor as they seek justice and promote safety within their communities.

Today, Vera also announced partnerships with DeKalb County, GA (District Attorney Sherry
Boston), and Ingham County, MI (County Prosecutor Carol Siemon). Each new office will work with Vera to implement concrete, data-informed policy and practice reforms to reduce the reach and impact of the criminal legal system, promote racial equity, and increase the public’s confidence in their office.

For more information, visit www.vera.org