Mandated And Committed To Ensure Public Safety

• We prosecute criminal, consumer, and environmental crimes
• We are guided by the highest ethical standards and integrity
• We prosecute criminal, consumer, and environmental crimes
• We are committed to equality and addressing inequities

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*Numbers from calendar year 2017

Before people started asking the hard questions of us, we were already asking them of ourselves.

The Alameda County District Attorney’s Office demonstrates our proactive leadership in Alameda County and beyond by recognizing the challenges faced by our community that stem from society’s inequalities and inequities.

A history of doing what is right. Here are just a handful of ways in which we have addressed inequality and injustice to make a difference in our communities.

REPRESENTATION FOR ALL: In 1925, then-DA Earl Warren championed the creation of the Alameda County Public Defender’s Office to provide representation for those who cannot afford a lawyer.

COMMITMENT TO FAIRNESS: The DA’s Office uses good judgement and exercises discretion when determining not to charge a third strike to ensure a fair and just response to the offense committed.

PROACTIVE LEADERSHIP: Our office has taken a proactive leadership approach to working with new laws that have widespread impact, such as alternatives to incarceration, rehabilitation, and the sentencing changes of Realignment.

TOUGH QUESTIONS: In February 2015, DA O’Malley started the Fairness & Equitable Policing & Prosecution Working Group to study societal and institutional inequities as well as our own implicit biases. We facilitated training for our staff, made policy changes and partnered in external working groups to change the system from within. We continue to do so.

EMBRACING CHANGE: The DA’s Office has helped establish numerous Collaborative Courts and programs with other agencies, departments, and service providers. These focus on rehabilitation and prevention strategies. Over 8,000 cases were heard in Collaborative Courts in 2016.

AHEAD OF THE GAME: DA O’Malley has been focusing on opioid issues since 2012. We target our prosecution on the sources of illegal prescriptions and have partnered with anti-addiction non-profit ‘Mothers with a Purpose’ to raise awareness of the issue of prescription drug abuse. Our office hosts twice-yearly drug take back days to safely dispose of unused medication to prevent abuse in our community.

SCHOOL ATTENDANCE = OPPORTUNITY: Education is essential for opportunity, thus school attendance is critical for all children. The DA’s Office has created positive school attendance programs such as Every Day Counts, HEAL, Teen Mediation, and Parent Truancy Court.

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An Example Of The Da’s Office Addressing Inequality And Inequity In Our Communities

THE PROBLEM

• 1/2 of all young adults with criminal records have reading problems. ^[1]
• 7 out of 10 inmates in state prison perform at the lowest literacy levels.^[2]
• California Department of Corrections has used 4th grade reading levels as a factor in determining the number of jail cells required in the future.^[3]

The DA’s Office recognizes that the issue of illiteracy is one of the major inequities in our community and has a significant impact upon those who are involved in the criminal justice system.

THE SOLUTION

We at the DA’s Office are committed to addressing the issue of illiteracy in our society for we believe education is a fundamental right for all children, and literacy is the key to opening an abundance of doors of opportunity.

• The ACFJC developed KidZone / Homework Helpers to assist young students with their homework and reading skills.
• We developed 123Read to engage children from 0-5 years in early development of language and literacy.
• We established Natalie’s Nook as a dedicated hub for child literacy programs at the ACFJC.
• Through the DA’s Truancy Court and Teen Truancy Mediation, young students and teens are linked with literacy and tutoring programs.
• The ACFJC has partnered with the Alameda County Library for P.U.L.S.E. (Pop Up Library Services for Everyone), serving all ages and multiple languages.
• The DA’s Justice Academy teaches literacy extension skills and public speaking with students preparing and presenting a final speech.
• These targeted programs ensure children receive educational support and opportunities that will prevent the cycle of incarceration.

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Our specialized trial units are committed to seeking justice for victims without further traumatizing them as the case winds its way through the criminal justice system.

In order to best serve vulnerable victims, the Alameda County DA’s Office has created specialized trial units. These units vertically prosecute domestic violence, elder abuse, gang, human exploitation and trafficking, and child sexual assault cases.

A TEAM APPROACH

The vertical prosecution model affords victims and witnesses of these extremely traumatic and life-changing crimes to have one attorney, one inspector, and one victim-witness advocate working with them on their case. This unified team builds rapport with the victims and witnesses, and ensures they do not have to retell their stories to multiple prosecutors and inspectors as their cases move through the system. It also enables these specialized units to address the special challenges facing these individuals, such as issues relating to protection and relocation.

A TRACK RECORD OF SUCCESS

As these cases are vertically handled, the Alameda County District Attorney’s office has experienced a long-running track record of success that has held the defendants of these crimes accountable for their actions. This means significant prison terms for the most serious violent offenders and referral to appropriate services for offenders believed to be amenable to change.

List of Specialized Units:

• Child Abduction
• Child Sexual Assault
• Consumer, Environmental & Worker Protection
• Conviction Integrity
• DNA
• Domestic Violence
• Elder Abuse
• Gangs
• Human Exploitation & Trafficking
• Public Assistance
• Public Integrity

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