Arnold Ventures has announced grants totaling $7.4 million to rigorously study prosecutor office policies. 

The funding was awarded to 14 prosecution-related research projects covering 19 states and 40 prosecutors’ offices. Projects include studying cost-benefit analysis of pretrial diversion programs, measuring outcomes from prosecutorial recommendations on bail and detention, and researching prosecutors’ efforts to reduce racial disparities in the criminal legal system. Arnold Ventures is focused on how prosecutors can use their discretion to promote racial equity, transparency, and data-driven decision making, use punitive measures sparingly, and prioritize a holistic approach to community safety. 

“This support will help inform policy and practices and expand our understanding of how to build safe and racially just outcomes,” said Arnold Ventures director of criminal justice Rebecca Silber. “It will also lift up the research-prosecutor-community partnerships that sit at the core of these projects and are critical to building safety and justice.” 

(Photo credit: Getty Images/Imaginima)