Baltimore (Md.) April 30, 2024 - Today, State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates and his executive team unveiled the first-ever strategic plan in the office’s history. The 23-page document is rooted in the foundational pillars of fairness, accountability, collaboration, technology-driven initiatives, and setting the standard.

"This plan provides a comprehensive blueprint that reflects my unwavering commitment to serving the people of Baltimore with integrity, innovation, and excellence. When I campaigned for the office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, I made three major promises to the residents of this city: to focus on illegal firearm possession that plagues our communities, to address quality of life offenses that infringe upon the residents’ enjoyment of their neighborhoods, and to rebuild the Office of the State's Attorney for Baltimore City and restore it to its place of prominence, not only in Maryland but across our country," said State's Attorney Ivan J. Bates. "That last promise was particularly significant to me because this office is where I began my legal career, where I cut my teeth and honed my skills. As State’s Attorney for Baltimore City, I am proud to unveil the first-ever strategic plan for the Office. This plan could not have been possible without the invaluable support and trust of the people of Baltimore.”

Senior leaders serving on the State’s Attorney’s Advisory Council, other prosecutors, and support staff throughout the office worked together to deliver this comprehensive strategic plan, which will guide the agency's priorities over the next three years.

The plan outlines measurable outcomes that will help the State's Attorney's Office ensure that the work being done is effective and answers the call of city residents who deserve a safer and more accountable city.

Several deliverables identified in the Strategic Plan include:

1. To implement a victim and witness satisfaction survey tool to help center specific victim-focused approaches and ensure that victims and witnesses are treated with empathy and respect throughout legal processes. Before now, there was no formal method for gathering and analyzing feedback from the two groups most impacted by the office - victims and witnesses. By establishing a survey protocol after a case has concluded, staff can hear directly from these two groups about what’s working—and what’s not—in engaging and guiding victims and witnesses through the criminal justice process.
2. Revamping the public-facing data dashboard on the State's Attorney's website. Improving the current prosecution dashboard will enhance transparency and accountability in the office by providing the public with legally approved office and prosecutorial data. This dashboard will be up-to-date, easy to navigate, and comprehensive so that the public can easily see what cases are coming in and their outcomes.
3. To explore the creation of a regional prosecution coordination council in partnership with various criminal justice entities beyond Baltimore City. Regional crime data over the last several decades shows that violent and drug-related criminal activity is often not limited to the City of Baltimore. And although law enforcement officials must adhere to jurisdictional borders and laws, criminals do not have the same restrictions. A coordinating council with State’s Attorney’s Offices from across the region would give the office the opportunity to address multi-jurisdictional defendants more efficiently and effectively and identify any criminal patterns spiking in the State.
4. To increase the number of “electronic-first” paper policies and develop standard, officewide electronic filing management and retention processes. Due to the current hybrid work policy and the upcoming rollout of The Maryland Electronic Courts (MDEC) platform, additional electronic-first policies must be created and enforced at the State's Attorney's Office. Baltimore City is the last jurisdiction in the State to implement MDEC. This goal will bring the office and its filing processes into the 21st century. This innovation will allow prosecutors to work smarter, not harder.
5. To create and implement a district and circuit court trial advocacy curriculum to support professional development and foster a high-performance culture amongst prosecutors. Going into the courtroom for trial is like walking a tightrope without a net. However, all tightrope walkers spend significant time training. The trial advocacy training curriculum will train prosecutors at all career levels, ensuring a common foundation of knowledge and skills across the office, establishing a consistently high standard of practice for prosecutors of all experience levels, and ensuring that prosecutors stay abreast of the latest legal and ethical trends, investigative technologies, case law, and procedural standards..

To read the full strategic report, click here.