From bail reform to prison diversion programs, public interest in prosecutorial policy has never been higher. But many district attorney offices struggle to recruit and retain prosecutors who carry out these policies.
John Jay’s Institute for Innovation in Prosecution (IIP) is working to push this issue to the forefront with its new guide, Revamping Recruitment and Retention: A Personnel Playbook for Prosecutors in Small Jurisdictions.
Authored by IIP Policy Associate Harry Breault, District Attorney Deborah Gonzalez of Georgia, and County Attorney William Ring of Arizona, the guide identifies personnel challenges faced by prosecutors across the country and highlights innovative solutions developed by IIP’s Beyond Big Cities initiative.
The guide provides offices with a blueprint for building teams of ethical prosecutors ⎼ while creating the culture and policies that will retain them.
“Hiring thoughtful and committed prosecutors to do the work of keeping communities safe—and retaining them as they grow and gain experience—is an indispensable priority for chief prosecutors, no matter their ideological stripes,” said IIP Deputy Director Alissa Marque Heydari. “Yet these leaders face severe challenges in finding the prosecutors they need and keeping them on board. This leaves many offices understaffed and under-experienced and has stark implications for the quality of justice.”
The guide is the fourth in a series produced through the IIP's Beyond Big Cities Initiative.
