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From Stats to Solutions: Data-Driven Responses to Baton Rouge’s Opioid Crisis

East Baton Rouge has been ravaged by the opioid crisis that has affected much of America. With hundreds of overdose deaths within the parish each year, the majority of which involved opioids in some capacity, the East Baton Rouge District Attorney’s Office (EBRDA) sought to combat this epidemic. The office applied for and was awarded a Smart Prosecution – Innovative Prosecution Solutions (IPS) grant with the goals of reducing the number of overdose deaths and enhancing prosecutions of individuals who contribute to those deaths. EBRDA has used its grant to produce data which in turn is used to develop innovative, economical, and effective strategies and programs.

Presenters will examine the EBRDA’s IPS project and describe its success and challenges. They will focus on how other jurisdictions can use their information and data to create similar programs that will provide lasting impacts in the community. This presentation will provide insight into different strategies that offices can pursue as they work to combat the opioid overdose epidemic.

At the end of this presentation, participants will be better able to:

– Use data to assess and respond to the opioid abuse and overdose crisis in their community
– Identify traditional and non-traditional criminal justice partners to assist in responding to the opioid crisis
– Evaluate their response to the opioid crisis

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Technology and Prosecution: The Evolving Courtroom

This article discusses evolving courtroom technology, including remote appearances and advances in visual display, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and recorded and automated transcription. The benefits of each, as well as issues to resolve, are discussed. These technologies will greatly affect the litigation of criminal cases and directly impact prosecutors’ work in the years to come.20240314-Technology and Prosecution – The Evolving Courtroom – PCE

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The Prosecutors’ Resource on Elder Abuse

This Prosecutors’ Resource is designed to assist with investigating and prosecuting cases involving abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation of an older victim. It includes foundational knowledge on the various forms and co-occurrence of elder abuse crimes, the characteristics of victims and perpetrators, the aging body, and issues of competency and capacity that will all inform prosecutors’ decision-making in cases and interactions with victims. This Prosecutors’ Resource also provides prosecution strategies for working with older victims and addresses the individual steps and considerations for prosecuting elder abuse cases from the initial interview and investigation through sentencing.

Prosecutors-Resource-on-Elder-Abuse

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SAJI Annotated Bibliography (June 2017)

This bibliography provides an extensive list of studies, best practices, strategies and other resources to support the prosecution of sexual assault, from the victim’s initial report through trial. The annotations offer overviews for every source on topics such as: performance measures, conviction rates, standards of practice, criminal justice reform, promising practices, investigation, responding to witnesses, pretrial, and trial strategies.

SAJI-Annotated-Bibliography-June-2017

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Prosecuting Cases Involving Victims with Developmental Disabilities: A Focus on Sexual Assault

The traumatic impact of sexual assault may further exacerbate already-existing issues for victims with developmental disabilities. Their condition may affect their participation in a criminal investigation and testimony at trial. Prosecutors must be prepared to address the impact of the disability on the victim and on the dynamics of the crime, particularly when assessing the offender’s behaviors, victim selection, and steps taken to perpetrate the crime. This webinar helps prepare prosecutors to anticipate issues and evidence prior to trial, file and argue pretrial motions, develop trial strategies that take into account the victim’s intellectual/developmental disabilities and mental health issues, introduce relevant evidence at trial while excluding the irrelevant, and consider appropriate sentencing options.

This webinar recording should qualify prosecutors for 1 hour of continuing legal education (CLE) credits. Prosecutors are encouraged to contact their state bar association in reference to application requirements and related fees.