Justice System Systemic Reform Project

About the Program

Category: Criminal Justice and Public Safety (Best in Category)

Year: 2012

In April 2009, Mohave County implemented a program which placed sole responsibility for all criminal justice agencies under one Deputy County Manager who became responsible for all administrative oversight of multiple indigent defense offices while working with nineteen elected officials within the justice system of Mohave County. The intent was to have a skilled and experienced legal professional working full-time across traditional boundaries with elected leaders, appointed department heads and the judicial branch, both within and outside the organization. A major tenet of the program was the requirement and ability to work across those boundaries with law enforcement, prosecution, judicial and defense leaders on a collaborative basis to evaluate systemic issues and work toward systemic improvements. Traditional justice systems are comprised of multiple agencies with competing interests that are often at odds with one another. The Mohave County Criminal Justice Services program focuses on a collaborative philosophy that takes the impact on the entire system of any particular initiative by a single agency. The net positive fiscal impact of the program is approaching $700,000 per year.