Community Prosecution

Should prosecutors try to solve local problems?

Introduction

Prosecutors traditionally measure their success in convictions and tough sentences. But locking up the bad guys doesn't always lead to lasting reductions in crime in poor neighborhoods. Some prosecutors believe poverty, poor education and a neighborhood atmosphere of neglect just keep breeding new criminals. Saying they want to prevent crime before it starts, some prosecutors are setting up after-school programs to keep kids out of gangs, demolishing abandoned buildings to prevent drug dealing and attending neighborhood meetings to learn local concerns. But critics question prosecutors' qualifications to solve social problems. Moreover, they ask, if prosecutors become champions of purely local interests, will they neglect their duty to prosecute the worst criminals?

Community prosecutor Michelle Presswood and two police officers check out a nuisance property in Indianapolis ...

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