NEW YORK — A report published in May 2025 by the Vera Institute of Justice emphasizes the immense power prosecutors hold within the criminal legal system, including the authority to decide “who will be charged, what charges will be brought, what plea will be offered, and whether to ask for incarceration upon a conviction.”
Although prosecutors play a central role in the criminal justice system, they were largely excluded from one important conversation: how to effectively reduce mass incarceration. From the 1970s through the early 2000s, incarceration rates in the United States rose dramatically as increasing numbers of people were sent to prison. While those rates have declined in recent years, the U.S. continues to incarcerate more people than nearly any other country in the world.
The issue of racial disparities is another problem prosecutors are seeking to confront. Racial disparities include targeting certain racial groups, imposing harsher sentences and incarcerating certain groups at higher rates.
The good news is that “more prosecutors than ever before have prioritized finding ways to address these issues before a case is ever charged.”
In 2021, “the Vera Institute of Justice launched its Motion for Justice campaign, an ongoing project that brings together prosecutors’ offices and system-impacted communities to pilot or expand community-centered diversion programs that promote community safety by centering racial equity. Vera selected 10 partner jurisdictions to participate.”
The report summarizes Vera’s goals for diversion programs in those jurisdictions. It outlines the Motion for Justice process by working alongside organizations that prioritize racial equity. “The report presents the campaign’s early success and research findings, along with best practices and recommendations for diversion programs.”
The main takeaway is, “Expanding the Motion for Justice model for community-based diversion from traditional prosecution is essential to driving a paradigm shift toward systems and practices that promote long-term community well-being and a more equitable future for all. When jurisdictions continuously refine approaches, centering the voices of those most impacted, communities thrive.”
The more communities are involved and heard from, the greater the possibility for change becomes, allowing future generations to avoid similar forms of oppression.
Prosecutors historically have pursued incarceration, and the effects have damaged communities, resulting in divided families and loss of employment that can have lasting impacts on future generations, the report states.
The diversion program will allow individuals to be held accountable while addressing the root causes of the issues and providing resources that may better address future challenges within communities.
People who live in areas with high crime rates and witness the legal system firsthand may be best positioned to guide prosecutors about the issues plaguing their neighborhoods. With better information, prosecutors may be able to help communities by providing a range of resources, such as health care and education services, and, in turn, lower crime rates.
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