Hate Crimes

A Local Prosecutor's Guide for Responding to Hate Crimes

The American Prosecutors Research Institute (APRI), the research affiliate of the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA), supported by funding from the Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Assistance, has written "A Local Prosecutor's Guide for Responding to Hate Crimes." APRI established and worked with an 18-member advisory group which includes 10 local prosecutors, as well as representatives from the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the Anti-Defamation League, the Center on Hate and Extremism, the National Center for Victims of Crime, Facing History and Ourselves, a county sheriff's office, the FBI, and the DOJ Community Relations Service.

APRI staff together with the advisory group has produced this resource guide, which will assist local prosecutors in preventing and responding to hate crimes. Initially, 500 copies will be distributed to prosecutors' offices throughout the country. The guide covers several issues that arise during hate crime prosecutions, such as:

• Working with outside agencies and organizations.
• Case screening and investigation.
• Case assignment and preparation.
• Victim and witness impact and support.
• Trial preparation.
• Sentencing alternatives.
• Prevention efforts
  

By highlighting model protocols and procedures from offices around the nation, the resource guide will help prosecutors' offices develop policies and procedures on handling hate crime investigations and prosecutions. It also will provide a comprehensive roadmap to individual prosecutors who are handling hate crime cases. Both prosecutors who are working on their first hate crime case and more experienced prosecutors of bias crimes will find the resource guide helpful.

Download Guide

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