Project Summary
In fall 2021, the Colorado Evaluation and Action Lab and the national Prosecutorial Performance Indicators (PPI) began working with District Attorneys’ (DA) offices across Colorado to launch the Colorado Prosecutorial Dashboards project. The project tracked progress towards greater prosecutorial efficiency, effectiveness, and fairness. The initiative continues to support DA offices in using data to take proactive, engaged responses to community problems that de-emphasize the use of incarceration, reduce racial and ethnic disparities in justice outcomes, build greater trust through community engagement, and increase prosecutorial transparency and accountability. The project team developed data dashboards and conducted in-depth analyses of racial/ethnic disparities of prosecutorial outcomes.
Check out the dashboards and disparity analyses at data.dacolorado.org.
As of October 2023, ongoing related work moved to The Evaluation Center at the University of Colorado Denver. For additional information please contact Lauren Gase at lauren.gase@ucdenver.edu.
Participating Judicial Districts:
- 1st Judicial District Attorney’s Office (Jefferson, Gilpin)
- 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office (Denver)
- 3rd Judicial District Attorney’s Office (Huerfano, Las Animas)
- 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office (Eagle, Summit, Lake, Clear Creek)
- 6th Judicial District Attorney’s Office (La Plata, San Juan, Archuleta)
- 7th Judicial District Attorney’s Office (Montrose, San Miguel, Ouray, Delta, Hinsdale, Gunnison)
- 8th Judicial District Attorney’s Office (Jackson, Larimer)
- 10th Judicial District Attorney’s Office (Pueblo)
- 12th Judicial District Attorney’s Office (Alamosa, Conejos, Costilla, Mineral, Rio Grande, Saguache)
- 17th Judicial District Attorney’s Office (Adams, Broomfield)
- 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office (Douglas, Arapahoe, Elbert, Lincoln)
- 20th Judicial District Attorney’s Office (Boulder)
- 21st Judicial District Attorney’s Office (Mesa)
Steps to Building Evidence
The Colorado Lab worked alongside DA Office staff to develop dashboards with indicators to support internal decision making and provide the public with greater insight and transparency into prosecutorial work. The dashboards enable participating offices to monitor trends in desired outcomes over time.
Summary of Findings
A findings report from the project’s first two years describes the project’s influence along with lessons learned that are being used to support the expansion of prosecutorial dashboards in other judicial districts. The report is also supporting ongoing local and statewide efforts to support data-driven decision making in the criminal justice system.
Actionability
The Colorado Prosecutorial Dashboards project continues to support Colorado DA Offices in their work towards the following three goals:
- Building internal capacity to routinely use data to identify challenges or opportunities, and adopt, test, and refine solutions.
- Increasing engagement with and accountability to the public.
- Raising awareness of—and supporting offices in addressing—racial/ethnic disparities in justice outcomes.
Get Involved
For more information about working with the Colorado Lab, see Government and Community Partnerships or Research Partnerships.