Prosecutorial Policy

Frederick State’s Attorney’s Office Partners with the PPIs to Launch Groundbreaking Prosecution Data Dashboard

Miami, Florida—The Prosecutorial Performance Indicators project (PPIs) is proud to announce the launch of a new PPI dashboard, developed in collaboration with Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office. This innovative tool aims to enhance transparency, accountability, and community engagement within the criminal justice system.

The dashboard will be launched at a press conference on Tuesday, October 29, 2024, at 11 am at the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office, 100 West Patrick Street.

Joining over 40 PPI sites nationwide – including the Montgomery County State’s Attorney’s Office - the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office Data Dashboard provides comprehensive and accessible insights into prosecution trends, case outcomes, and demographic information within our jurisdiction. By leveraging state-of-the-art data analytics, this platform offers policymakers, researchers, and the public a deeper understanding of the dynamics shaping our criminal justice landscape. The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, and the Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative generously supported this work.

Frederick County State’s Attorney Charlie Smith said “I believe that providing the public with our data will enable them to form their own, educated opinions about criminal justice in our community. I am confident it will reveal that we seek justice fairly and efficiently, while also showing areas in which we may improve."

Key features of the Prosecution Data Dashboard include:

  1. **Case Analytics:** Explore data on case filings, dispositions, and sentencing outcomes to understand prosecution patterns and trends over time.
  2. **Demographic Insights:** Examine the demographic characteristics of individuals involved in the criminal justice system, including age, race, gender, and socioeconomic status.
  3. **Community Impact:** Assess the impact of prosecution efforts on public safety, recidivism rates, and community well-being, fostering informed discussions and evidence-based policymaking.
  4. **User-Friendly Interface:** Navigate the dashboard easily, utilizing interactive visualizations and customizable filters to extract relevant information tailored to specific inquiries.

"We are proud to collaborate with the State’s Attorney’s Offices of Baltimore and Frederick County after the initial success of the Montgomery County dashboard," said Melba Pearson, co-manager of the PPIs. "By providing stakeholders access to comprehensive data, we empower communities to advocate for equitable and effective criminal justice policies. We continue to work with Baltimore City, Prince George, and Charles County in collaboration with local researchers from Bowie State University to launch their dashboards next year - as well as update our current Maryland dashboards with the newest data available."

For additional information, please contact Melba Pearson, co-manager of the Prosecutorial Performance Indicators at mpearson@fiu.edu.

Prosecutorial Performance Indicators project was launched in 2017 by researchers from Loyola University of Chicago and Florida International University with funding from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge. A dashboard of 55 indicators has been created to assess prosecutorial progress on efficiency, community safety, and fairness.