Research Program

Established in 1993, the Metropolitan Crime Commission’s Research Program applies objective research and analysis to improve policy choices and decision-making in the criminal justice system.  The research program has three underlying goals:

Goal 1: Promote accountability and transparency in the criminal justice system and other governmental agencies

Goal 2: Provide accurate information to decision-makers by identifying the strengths of existing practices and providing alternatives to improve governmental effectiveness and efficiency

Goal 3: Educate the public through the dissemination of our research results

ORLEANS PARISH CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM ACCOUNTABILITY PROJECT

Since the beginning of 2007, the Metropolitan Crime Commission has been regularly issuing reports documenting the performance of the New Orleans criminal justice system. The main goal of these reports is to bring accountability and transparency to the performance of the New Orleans Police Department, the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office, and the judiciary of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. These reports come at a critical juncture for New Orleans as the criminal justice system continues to recover from Hurricane Katrina.

Orleans Parish Criminal Justice Accountability Report - MAY 2013(May 12, 2013)
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Click here to view supplemental exhibits

Orleans Parish Criminal Justice Accountability Report (December 5, 2012)
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2011 Orleans Parish Judicial Accountability Report (July 9, 2012)
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Orleans Parish Criminal Justice System Accountability Report - MAY 2012 (May 14, 2012)
Analyzing Orleans Parish arrest statistics shows a significant drop in arrests from 2009 through 2011 with the largest reductions in arrests for misdemeanor, traffic, and municipal violations. The report also finds a continued increase in felony arrest to felony conviction rates for 2010 arrests.
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Orleans Parish Criminal Justice System Accountability Report - NOVEMBER 2011 (November 7, 2011)
An examination of criminal justice system performance from the beginning of 2009 through the first half of 2011 finds substantial reductions in arrests with the largest decreases in arrests for misdemeanor, municipal, and traffic violations. The report also shows wide variations in the numbers of felony cases accepted for prosecution and closed felony cases from the second half of 2010 through the first half of 2011.
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2010 Orleans Parish Judicial Accountability Report (August 18, 2011)
This examination of the 2010 judicial efficiency finds that the judiciary adjusted to a substantial increase in felony cases within Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. Although the number of pending cases increased, there was not a significant increase in the time it took to bring cases to conclusion or backlogged cases more than one year old. The report also identifies wide discrepancies in efficiency accross different members of the judiciary.
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Orleans Parish Criminal Justice System Accountability Report - JUNE 2011 (June 20, 2011)
This report finds significant improvements in arrest to conviction rates for 2009, the first full year Lean Cannizzaro served as Orleans Parish District Attorney. The report also tracks arrests which declined 21% from the first half of 2010 to the second half of 2010 with the largest reductions in arrests for minor offenses. Changes in criminal justice system performance demonstrates the beginning of reforms with opportunities for continued improvement.
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Orleans Parish Criminal Justice System Accountability Report - FALL 2010 (December 21, 2010)
Violent felony convictions continued to increase over the first six months of 2010. Other positive trends in criminal justice performance include greater numbers of trials to resolve difficult cases, higher rates of felony arrests resulting in prosecutions, and lower rates of cases being dismissed. The report also finds a high percentage of arrests for minor out of parish warrants that result in little time in jail.
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Orleans Parish Judicial Accountability Report January-June 2010 (Nov 1, 2010)
After several years of improvements in case efficiency statistics, it took longer for cases to close and there were more open cases through the first six months of 2010. Although inventories increased, judges were able to maintain low levels of cases more than one year old. The report also continues to find disparities in individual judge's individual efficiency measures.
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2009 Orleans Parish Judicial Accountability Report (Jul 21, 2010)
Judicial efficiency continued to improve throughout 2009. The judiciary as a whole reduced the backlog of felony cases more than one year old and decreased the time it took to bring felony cases to conclusion. A review of each judge's performance reveals that three judges consistently lag behind their peers in measures of efficiency.
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Orleans Parish Criminal Justice System 2009 Accountability Report (Jun 23, 2010)
In this seventh report tracking the overall performance of the New Orleans criminal justice system, the MCC finds that the New Orleans Police Deparment and Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office increased felony convictions and prosecutions, but police's strategy of arresting thousands of suspects for minor offenses results in an arrest rate more than three times the national average.
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Orleans Parish Judicial Accountability Report January-June 2009 (Dec 21, 2009)
In response to the increase in accepted cases during the first half of 2009, the judiciary of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court closed more felony cases and reduced the time that it took to bring cases to conclusion. The report also finds persistent and broad disparities between the performance of the most and least efficient judges.  On average, the least efficient judges take more than two times longer to bring cases to conclusion and have inventories of pending cases as much as twice as large as the most efficient judges.
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Orleans Parish Criminal Justice System Accountability Report - Fall 2009 (November 2, 2009)
Through the first six months of 2009, improvements in coordination between the New Orleans Police Department and Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office led to significant increases in new felony cases accepted for prosecution and increases felony convictions. The report also finds that high numbers of arrests for minor offenses continue to consume an indordinate amount of police manpower without benefitting community safety.
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Click here to view supplemental report statistics

2008 Orleans Parish Judicial Accountability Report (Jun 29, 2009)
Orleans Parish Criminal District Court shows ongoing improvements in case processing efficiency in this fourth report since 2007. It took less time to close cases in 2008 compared to 2007, and the court has reduced the backlog of cases more than one year old. The report also finds disparities in judicial performance that indicate some judges have more efficient case management strategies.
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Orleans Parish Criminal Justice System Accountability Report - Spring 2009 (May 5, 2009)
Tracking arrests from 2007 found that only 3% of the more than 58,000 arrests in Orleans Parish resulted in felony convictions. Arrest trends show that the NOPD is reducing the number of municipal arrests in favor of municipal citations. However, changes in state law have not had the intended effect of reducing arrests for misdemeanor warrants.
Click here to view report
Click here to view supplemental report statistics
Click here to view Senate Bill 71 regarding municipal warrants
Click here to view New Orleans City Council Ordinance specifying municipal arrest criteria

Orleans Parish Criminal Justice System Accountability Report - January through June 2008 (Oct 14, 2008)
In the fourth report examining New Orleans Police Department and Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office performance, the MCC finds that there continues to be a large number of arrests for minor offenses and a high dismissal rate for felony cases. The MCC respectfully recommends that the entire criminal justice system better focus its resources on felony crimes of violence.
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Orleans Parish Judicial Accountability Report - January through June 2008 (Sep 24, 2008)
This third report examining performance of the judiciary of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court since January 2007 documents consistent improvements in resolving backlogged criminal cases and reducing the time it takes to close cases. Consistent with previous research, this report also finds some judges have sound case management practices while other judges have adopted procedures that result in a less efficient flow to the criminal justice process.
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2007 Orleans Parish Judicial Accountability Report (Apr 14, 2008)
The second in a series of reports documenting the performance of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court examines felony case processing throughout 2007. The report finds that some judges are more efficient at bringing felony cases to conclusion and that the court as a whole made significant headway in reducing the post-Katrina backlog of criminal cases.
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Third and Fourth Quarter 2007 Orleans Parish Criminal Justice System Accountability Report (February 19, 2008)
In this, the third report analyzing the performance of the New Orleans Police Department and the Orleans Parish District Attorney's Office, the MCC identifies numerous positive trends in criminal justice system performance as well as areas to target for further improvements. Although there were more felony cases accepted for prosecution and more felony convictions in the latter part of 2007, arrests for minor offenses and a high dismissal rate were poor utilizations of criminal justice system resources.
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Orleans Parish Judicial Accountability Report (January - June 2007)
As part of the Criminal Justice System Accountability Project, the MCC released the first in its series of reports on the Judiciary of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court. This report examines felony case processing in the first and second quarters of 2007, which reflects judicial performance as the court was beginning to reestablish normal operations after Hurrican Katrina. The report documents wide variations in judicial efficiency, the court's significantly diminshed felony case processing compared to past research, and an increase in the incarceration rate for individuals convicted of felony drug and property crimes.
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Second Quarter 2007 Orleans Parish Criminal Justice System Accountability Report (October 2, 2007)
The second quarterly report identifies several advances in criminal justice system performance as well as some areas to target for improvement. The main improvements include more arrests for violent felony offenses and more felony convictions. Areas to target for additional improvement include increasing the overall severity of arrest offenses and producing more convictions for violent felony offenses.
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First Quarter 2007 Orleans Parish Criminal Justice System Accountability Report (June 12, 2007)
In the first quarterly report on the 2007 performance of the New Orleans criminal justice system, the Metropolitan Crime Commission found a high number of arrests resulting in fewer felony prosecution compared to before Hurricane Katrina. Recommendations include reducting the number of municipal and traffic arrests and assigning Assistant District Attorneys to work more closely with the New Orleans Police Department within district stations.
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ADDITIONAL RESEARCH PROJECTS AND REPORTS

Crime & Safety in Central City: A Community's Perspective (January 2007)
A survey of residents of the New Orleans' neighborhood Central City finds citizens fearful of crime and doubtful of the New Orleans Police Department's ability to reduce criminal activity. Primary resolutions that residents identify to reduce crime include better community-police relations, neighborhood watch programs, more opportunities for area youth to positively apply themselves, and a cleaner community with better street lighting.
Click here to view Executive Summary
Click here to view Report

Performance of the New Orleans Criminal Justice System 2003-2004 (August 2005)
Released immediately prior to Hurricane Katrina, this report analyzes arrests and criminal case outcomes for state offenses in New Orleans.  This is a follow-up report to the one listed below, and it highlights changes in performance from 2000 under different police and prosecution leadership.
Click here to view Executive Summary
Click here to view Report

Analysis of the Processing of State Felony and Misdemeanor Charges in New Orleans: Arrest Through Billing Decision (August 2002)
This report examines the processing of arrest reports by the New Orleans Police Department and the subsequent screening of reports by the Orleans Parish District Attorney’s Office.  It shows how inefficiencies in case processing have a detrimental impact on the success of criminal cases.  It was followed up by the 2005 report listed above.
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Bail Bond Reductions in Orleans Criminal District Court (March 2005) Examines bond reduction practices for state offenses in Orleans Parish.  Finds one judge responsible for a disproportionate number of bonds.
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Analysis of Judge Trial Outcomes in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court 1999 – 2003 (October 2004)
Presents the disparate outcomes of judge trials for each of the 12 judges of Orleans Parish Criminal District Court.
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Analysis of the Processing of State Felony and Misdemeanor Cases in Jefferson Parish: Arrest Through Billing Decisions (November 2003)
Examines the processing of arrest reports and rates of conviction for different offenses in the 24th judicial district.
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Pretrial Decision Making in the 24th Judicial District (March 2003)
Examines release of defendants awaiting trial and the impact of pretrial release decisions.
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The Project Return Program (January 2003)
Measures the recidivism of participants in Project Return, an ex-offender reintegration program.
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Juvenile Recidivism in Metropolitan New Orleans (April 1999)
Provides information about outcomes and types of cases in the juvenile justice systems in Orleans and Jefferson Parishes with an emphasis on juvenile recidivism.
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THE JUDICIAL WATCH RESEARCH PROGRAM
From 1996 through 2002, the Metropolitan Crime Commission’s Research Program conducted annual assessments of the performance of the judiciary in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court and in the Jefferson Parish 24th Judicial District.  These annual reports evaluated the performance of the courts and individual judges according to recognized case processing standards.  Copies of the most recent Judicial Watch reports are presented below.

Felony Justice in Jefferson Parish 24th Judicial District Court 2000
(February 2002)
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Felony Justice in Jefferson Parish 24th Judicial District Court 1998
(June 1999)
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Felony Justice in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court 2000
(October 2001)
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Felony Justice in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court 1999
(November 2000)
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