Progressive prosecution is a model of prosecution that prioritizes public safety while also promoting equity, fairness, and justice. This article explores the history and development of progressive prosecution and discusses the challenges and opportunities for expanding its reach. The article also highlights successful examples of progressive prosecution in action and offers recommendations for how progressive prosecutors can work to address systemic issues in the criminal justice system.

Progressive prosecution, criminal justice reform, equity

https://serialpodcast.org/season-one [https://perma.cc/W5GC-38BJ], (suggesting

that Adnan Syed was wrongfully convicted); Serial, NPR, Season 3, https://serialpodcast.org/

[https://perma.cc/676U-XJ2L]; (reporting on chaotic criminal courts in Cleveland).

https://www.netflix.com/title/80000770 [https://perma.cc/V5G4-5GRP].

2 Arthur Rizer& Lars Trautman, The Conservative Case for Criminal Justice Reform,

GUARDIAN (Aug. 5, 2018), https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/05/the-conser

vative-case-for-criminal-justice-reform [https://perma.cc/J2VG-EGU5].

3 BidishSarma, Using Deterrence Theory to Promote Prosecutorial Accountability,

21 LEWIS & CLARK L. REV . 573, 592 (2017) (“Prosecutorial elections are historically low-

information, low-turnout affairs.”).

4 See Ronald F. Wright, How Prosecutor Elections Fail Us, 6 OHIO ST . J. CRIM . L. 581,

591 (2009).

5 See Carissa Byrne Hessick& Michael Morse, Picking Prosecutors, 105 IOWA L. REV .

1537, 1544–46 (2020).