The Association of Prosecuting Attorneys (APA) is a private non-profit whose mission is to support and enhance the effectiveness of prosecutors in their efforts to create safer communities. The overall goal of APA is to keep communities safe, and the minimization of collateral consequences accomplishes this goal. Collateral consequences that are unrelated to the criminal conviction and have no public safety benefit, hurt communities overall by increasing recidivism and trapping many in a cycle that prevents them from truly escaping the criminal justice system. Unnecessary collateral consequences can prevent gainful employment and restrict housing opportunities.
In 2019, APA received a Koch Foundation grant to address issues of unrelated collateral consequences at plea in the state of North Carolina. APA’s goal is to provide prosecutors across the country with the tools necessary to correct this failing in the criminal justice system. To expand upon this work, APA was awarded a grant through the Coalition for Public Safety (CPS) to provide additional regional trainings across the country for prosecutors on the issue of collateral consequences. These additional trainings include workshops, conferences, webinars, and other guidance, whilst working with partners around the country to increase prosecutorial awareness and prevention of unnecessary collateral consequences. All of these trainings will focus on how prosecutors can address collateral consequences at the plea stage rather than upon reentry.