Press Release

ALEXANDRIA, VA -- March 23, 2001 -- The National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) recently passed a resolution confirming its long-standing stance in opposition of racial profiling or any other disparate treatment in the criminal justice system.

Simply stated, the NDAA, representing America's prosecutors in their efforts to pursue justice and protect the public safety, supports the fair and just treatment of all persons in the criminal justice system, regardless of their race or ethnicity.

Consequently, NDAA opposes racial profiling or any other disparate treatment of any individual who comes into contact with the criminal justice system based on race or ethnicity.

All decisions in the criminal justice system -- from the initial decision to stop by law enforcement, to the decision to arrest, to the decision to prosecute or release, to the finding of the jury or judge after trial, to the sentence imposed to the type of correctional supervision which occurs during incarceration or probation -- must be race neutral and non-discriminatory in every aspect.

Robert M.A. Johnson, President of the NDAA, stated that "America's prosecutors are dedicated to a system of justice that convicts the guilty and protects the innocent while giving absolutely no notice or consideration to the race or ethnic background of either the plaintiff or defendant. Prosecutors have devoted their lives to ensure that justice is, indeed, blind and impartial, and will not tolerate race-based decisions in any part of the criminal justice system."

NDAA is the nation's largest, most influential and primary organization representing prosecuting attorneys.