U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government, Department of Justice.

NCJRS Virtual Library

The Virtual Library houses over 235,000 criminal justice resources, including all known OJP works.
Click here to search the NCJRS Virtual Library

Improving State and Local Criminal Justice Systems: A Report on How Public Defenders, Prosecutors, and Other Criminal Justice System Practitioners Are Collaborating Across the Country

NCJ Number
173391
Author(s)
R L Spangenberg; M L Beeman
Date Published
1998
Length
13 pages
Annotation
The initiatives discussed in this report represent practical attempts to make the best use of limited criminal justice system resources by implementing projects that depend on interagency planning.
Abstract
The seven models are criminal justice planning commissions, cooperation in State and local programs receiving Federal funds, task forces, Fill the Gap coalitions, joint prosecutor/public defender unions, cooperation in case tracking and criminal history systems, and fiscal impact statements. Criminal justice planning commissions in California, Georgia, Kentucky, and Nebraska are described, as well as cooperation in programs receiving Federal funds in California, Delaware, and Minnesota. Task forces in Nebraska, Oregon, and Washington and Fill the Gap coalitions in Florida and Arizona are noted. Specific consideration is also paid to joint prosecutor/public defender unions in California in Minnesota; cooperation in case tracking and criminal history systems in Florida, Delaware, and Rhode Island; and the use of fiscal impact statements in Maryland. An appendix identifies how to obtain more information on the initiatives described in the report.