Combating Witness Intimidation to Improve Victim and Witness Cooperation, Law Enforcement Investigation, and Prosecution
Witness intimidation is "behavior which strikes at the heart of the justice system itself" (United States v. Mastrangelo, 693 F.2d 269 (2d Cir. 1982)). When intimidation of victims and witnesses is left unaddressed, perpetrators are not brought to justice, and the public safety is compromised. The Combating Witness Intimidation (CWI) initiative provided technical assistance to three pilot sites focused on implementing practices consistent with legal and evidence-based investigative and prosecution practices.
Initiative Partners:
Justice Management Institute (JMI)
International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA)
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Read more about the pilot sites below.
01
Suffolk County District Attorney's Office
This partnership provided training and technical assistance for criminal justice professionals working in Boston to better recognize and identify existing intimidation and build capacity to effectively respond to identified intimidation. It also supported the implementation of a highly-visible coordinated approach among law enforcement and the community. In addition, efforts were made to educate the general public about witness intimidation crimes and being able to recognize the dangers.
02
19th Judicial District Attorney, Parish of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana
This partnership provided training and technical assistance for criminal justice professionals working in Baton Rouge to better recognize and identify existing intimidation and build capacity to effectively respond to identified intimidation. The initiative fostered better collaboration between existing agencies such as Baton Rouge Area Violence Elimination (BRAVE) and CSU. It also strove to better allocate limited resources such as witness relocation funds. The goals of the initiative included increasing trust in the criminal justice system, increasing victim and witness engagement, and improving prosecutorial outcomes.
03
Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City
This partnership provided training and technical assistance for criminal justice professionals working in Baltimore to better recognize and identify existing intimidation and build capacity to effectively respond to identified intimidation. It also helped better allocate limited resources such as witness relocation funds. The goals of the initiative included increasing trust in the criminal justice system, increasing victim and witness engagement, and improving prosecutorial outcomes.