Monroe County Branch NAACP

Email indianaprosecutorproject@gmail.com to learn more about the activities of our local branch related to this grant.

We’re excited to take part in @Arnold_Ventures latest grants to rigorously study prosecutor office policies and support research into the decisions made every day by prosecutors across the United States. These grants will support 14 prosecution-related research projects that cover 19 states and 40 prosecutor offices. Learn more about how this work will expand our understanding of how to build safe and racially just outcomes.

Excerpt from the full announcement about the project our NAACP Branch is part of:

Researchers with Indiana University will study the use of prosecutorial discretion for traffic and misdemeanor cases from charging through sentencing, documenting racial and ethnic disparities across decision-making, assessing local diversion policy and practices, and providing public-facing data to promote transparency and accountability.

“The criminal justice system can fall short of our constitutional commitments to equality and fairness, and several prosecutors around the country are working to identify and address those shortfalls. Because our nation’s criminal justice systems are decentralized, it is incumbent upon local prosecutors to study their practices and develop policies and procedures to improve equity, transparency, and efficacy in their communities. My office is partnering with Lake County Prosecuting Attorney Bernard Carter, Monroe County Branch NAACP, and Indiana University to prove that this important work can be done in communities of various sizes, not just in metropolitan jurisdictions,” said Monroe County Prosecutor Erika Oliphant.

“One of the things that I’m most excited about for this project is the ability to bring community members into the research process. In collaborating with community organizers, we’re giving the most important stakeholders a seat at the table. This project isn’t just about answering traditional research questions but allowing those closest to the system to have a say in what research needs to be prioritized,”

said Tri Keah S. Henry, assistant professor at Indiana University. 

“As an academic, I am excited to see our findings for the project; I think we will have a lot of information that the public can use to sponsor change. As a Black man, however, I am interested to see if this project will help offer some validity to many advocates for change across the nation,” said Marshall Allen, NAACP Monroe County chapter’s research liaison.

“The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Monroe County Branch is passionately concerned for the safety of our community. We understand the need to be a  collaborative partner to create community policy. We have the opportunity to do just that through Arnold Ventures’ ‘Promoting Racial Justice and Transparency,’ partnering with Monroe County Prosecuting Attorney Erika Oliphant and Lake County Prosecuting Attorney Bernard Carter. We believe that public safety and justice are important to invest in as it relates to ensuring equity and eliminating racial, gender and disabled bias,” said Maqubè Reese, NAACP Monroe County.