ANTHONY V. PIERRO SUPERVISING ASSISTANT

PROSECUTOR

OCEAN COUNTY PROSECUTOR’S OFFICE

TOMS RIVER, NEW JERSEY

The Prosecutor’s Perspective

And Now you want us to work Together?

LEGISLATIVE

BRANCH JUDICIAL BRANCH

SUPREME COURT

ADMINISTRATIVE

OFFICE OF THE

COURTS

PROBATION

SERVICES

FAMILY

PRACTICE

NJ SUPERIOR COURTS

(15 LOCAL VICINAGES)

TRIAL COURT

ADMINISTRATOR

ASSIGNMENT

JUDGE

CHIEF PROBATION

OFFICER

FAMILY DIVISION

MANAGER

ASST. CHIEF

PROBATION OFFICER

(Juvenile)

JUDGES

INTAKE OFFICERS

(Risk Screening Tool)

NJ JDAI

STRUCTURE

OTHER INVOLVED KEY ACTORS

•NJ Office Of Public Defender

•NJ Dept. Of Children & Families

•County Prosecutors’ Offices

•Local Police Departments

•NJ Dept. of Education

•Local Schools

•Community Providers

•Social Justice & Youth Advocacy

Organizations

Research &

Evaluation

Youth Services

Commission Grants

Management

Detention

Monitoring

Court Liaisons

JJDP/Grants Unit

State Advisory

Group

State JDAI

Collaborative

(NJ CJJSI)

Local JDAI

Collaboratives

(County CJJSI)

ASST. FAMILY

DIVISION MGR

(Juvenile)

EXECUTIVE BRANCH

GOVERNOR

ATTORNEY

GENERAL

JUVENILE JUSTICE

COMISSION

COUNTY

GOVERNMENT

COUNTY YOUTH

SERVICES

COMMISSIONS

DETENTION

CENTERS

OFFICE OF LOCAL

PROGRAMS &

SERVICES

JDAI Research &

Reform

Specialists

Prosecutor’s Perspective (Incredibly Important)

Prosecutors are responsible for everything

that happens in Court

Prosecutors are responsible for public safety

and accountability

Prosecutors must represent the community in

the Courtroom and beyond

Prosecutors are responsible for the system Prosecutor’s role is to seek justice, not merely convict

Prosecutor’s Perspective (Still Incredibly Important)

Prosecutors have tremendous control over critical juvenile justice issues

DETENTION UTILIZATION Prosecutors control the plea offer

CASE PROCESSING Prosecutors control discovery/evidence/victim input

CASE SCREENING Prosecutors have the ability to dismiss/divert to a greater degree than any other player in the system

THE POLICE/COMMUNITY Prosecutors are Ambassadors to the Community and to Law Enforcement

Examples From Around the Nation

Standards for Juvenile Prosecutors

Risk Screening Tools/Risk Assessments

Probation Response Grids/Violations

Diversion Programs/Specialty Courts

Standards for Juvenile Prosecutors should be

established Nationally and in every State

JPLN (Juvenile Prosecutor’s Leadership Network)

Pennsylvania

New Jersey

Texas

Virginia

Risk Screening Tools

New Jersey’s RST is a single statewide

instrument which determines a juvenile’s

placement at the time of arrest

Approved by the New Jersey Supreme Court

Prosecutors played a key role in the

development of a tool that would be accepted

statewide

Probation Sanctions Grid (What is really important to us?)

Arrests

Drugs

Evaluations

Services

Diversion Programs/Specialty Courts

Identify delinquency situations that can be handled without formal arrest

Stationhouse Adjustment programs

Treatment should not depend upon an adjudication of delinquency or a term of probation

Weekend programs (Seattle, Washington)

Develop specialty courts for target populations (California, Texas, New Jersey)

All of these programs were Prosecutor created/supported or organized

However . . .

Prosecutor’s Perspective (Bad things happen)

The impact of juvenile crime on victims

and/or the community

Accountability is an important goal of the

juvenile justice system

Well balanced approach that incorporates

incarceration/transfer as a tool of the system

Questions