Progressive Prosecutors 2.0

We all know how 1.0 Went
New Progressive Low-Level Retail Theft Intervention Project

As big cities continue to deal with the consequences of the big 5 Progressive DA's, we're now going to have five more in smaller cities with a scaled down version of the no-prosecution program.  Articles below:
 

Innovative Program Addresses Retail Theft

The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys Launches Innovative Pilot Program to Address Low-Level Retail Theft and Increase Public Safety

Five Sites Selected to Pilot Intervention Program

WASHINGTON, D.C. – 07/06/2023 – The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA), in partnership with Justice System Partners (JSP), announced today that they have selected five sites  to pilot a low-level retail theft intervention project. Low level retail theft-which refers to smaller-scale, lower-value shoplifting incidents, has risen in recent years, harming retailers who have been impacted by shrinkage and leading to an increase of arrests.

The five prosecutor offices that have been selected are: East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office, LA; 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office (Centennial), CO; Santa Monica City Attorney’s Office, CA; Shelby County District Attorney General’s Office (Memphis), TN; and Columbus City Attorney’s Office, OH (see below article)

Many individuals who engage in low-level retail theft do so as a result of unmet mental health needs, substance use and/or co-occurring disorders, or housing or food insecurity. These quality-of-life issues disproportionately affect low-income households and persons of color, which can exacerbate racial and ethnic disparities when these individuals come in contact with the criminal justice system.       

This project will provide prosecutors with a set of tools to identify and address the needs of those who commit low-level retail theft. The goal of this project is to work with prosecutors’ offices and their law enforcement and community partners to determine effective responses that diagnose the underlying causes of low-level theft through working directly with retailers and the communities they serve, increasing public safety and equity.

The full report can be read [HERE]

"Buckeye Deflection" Launched By Prosecutor
Here's how Columbus, Ohio's city Prosecutor is rolling it out.

Columbus City Attorney hopes to reduce shoplifting by helping those who steal out of need

The Columbus City Attorney's Office is one of five prosecutors' offices nationwide piloting a program aimed at decreasing shoplifting by helping nonviolent offenders who steal low-value items out of desperation.

Besides here in Columbus, pilot programs are launching in East Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Centennial, Colorado; Santa Monica, California and in Shelby County in Memphis, Tennessee.

City Attorney Zach Klein announced what his office is calling "Buckeye Deflection" on Thursday, a pilot project by the national Association of Prosecuting Attorneys in partnership with Justice System Partners.

“Buckeye Deflection is working to improve lives and meet the needs of those struggling in our community while also freeing up prosecutors to go after violent and higher level criminals who pose a serious threat to public safety,” Klein said.

The City Attorney's Prosecution Division will identify low-level offenders whose crimes stem from quality-of-life factors like homelessness, poverty, mental illness or substance use. The aim is to connect individuals with community resources that can help improve their lives and lead them to forego stealing again.

Klein said these issues disproportionately affect low-income people and persons of color, which can exacerbate inequities in the criminal justice system.

Some individuals may still face prosecution, but will get access to help, according to Klein's office.

Columbus businesses are on board with the program, he said.

Klein said Buckeye Deflection will expand on his office's Buckeye Diversion program, which was created in 2019. According to the city attorney's office, Buckeye Diversion is a first-of-its-kind program that assesses participants charged with misdemeanor crimes and creates individual plans for them to get their lives on track.

Admission to either program is on a case-by-case basis, and people who commit violent crimes or repeatedly commit crimes will not qualify, according to Klein's office.

Since 2019, the Buckeye Diversion Program has had 248 participants. So far in 2023, the program has had 24 people graduate.

Nearly 80% of graduates of Buckeye Diversion have not committed another crime since, according to the city attorney's office.

“While City prosecutors continue to crack down on criminals who have no regard for the law or the harm they cause small businesses, there is a small subset of individuals engaged in low-level retail theft whose actions stem from unmet needs like homelessness, mental health disorders or food insecurity,” said Jennifer Grant, a prosecutor who leads the Columbus Buckeye Deflection Program.

“Buckeye Deflection gives us the tools to better identify these individuals and connect them with the critical resources they need rather than throwing them into a cycle of incarceration and reoffending," she said. "The data we’re seeing shows that this program works and helps the bottom line of our business partners.”  dispatch.com