Carol J. DeFrances, Ph.D.

December 1, 2001    NCJ 191206

Presents data from the 2001 National Survey of Prosecutors (NSP). The NSP collected data on all chief prosecutors that handled felony cases in State courts of general jurisdiction. This first report from the 2001 NSP focused on the 114 prosecutors' offices that served districts with a population of 500,000 or more. The report summarizes the budgets for prosecutors' offices that serve large districts and profiles their staffs of attorneys, investigators, victim advocates and support personnel. For the first time NSP questions included whether a prosecutor was pursuing computer-related crime and how the prosecutor's office was involved in community organizations to identify crime-related problem areas. The Special Report also presents data on threats against staff and the response that offices have made. The other survey areas include the number of felony cases closed, the use of DNA evidence, and the number of juvenile cases proceeded against in criminal court.

Highlights include the following:

• Over 14,000 assistant prosecutors and supervisory attorneys who litigated cases were employed by prosecutors' offices in large districts.
• Annually, prosecutors' offices in large districts closed over 1 million felony cases, with a median conviction rate of 85%.
• 65% of prosecutors offices in large districts reported a threat or assault against an assistant prosecutor, 41% the chief prosecutor, and 22% a staff investigator.

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