Prosecutor Dashboard
Introducing Our Dashboard
The justice system is one of the largest investments made by local government. When you consider the combined costs of law enforcement, jails, community corrections, courts, probation, prosecution, and public defense, it represents a significant use of taxpayer resources. Despite that investment, it can be difficult to clearly see what the system produces overall.
This dashboard is designed to provide that clarity. It offers a straighforward, data-driven view of how cases move through the system and how resources are used. Rather than relying on individal cases or isolated stories, this tool is intended to help ground these conversations in facts. This reflects a commitment to transparency, accountability, and informed decision-making in Hancock County.
Key Dashboard Takeaways
Where We Are Doing Well
One of the areas where the office has been performing well is around charging integrity. The office makes a thorough assessment of the appropriateness of charges at case screening and makes every effort to dispose of cases as charged. Charging integrity is important for victims, defendants, and the community because it holds defendants accountable and creates a sense of predictability and consistency in the criminal justice system. It also reduces undue pressure on defendants to plead guilty in exchange for a lesser charge or sentence.Explore Fairness & Justice PPIs →Where We Can Improve
Similarly, our data supports a more targeted use of custodial sentences. Jail remains an essential tool — particularly for individuals who pose a meaningful risk to community safety. At the same time, for certain lower-level misdemeanor offenses, structured alternative sentencing options can hold individuals accountable while more effectively addressing the underlying causes of behavior, while maintaining accountability to victims and the community. Using the right response for the right case reduces strain on the system, lowers costs to taxpayers, and allows our office to focus greater attention on serious offenses that most directly impact public safety.Explore Capacity & Efficiency PPIs →What's Next
Going forward, our office plans to continue to increase community engagement around priority areas, improve the quality of data, add new measures to this site, and continue monitoring the trends for timely problem solving.
Changes in Hancock County's Justice System
When exploring the Hancock County Prosecutor Dashboard, it is important to be aware of major law, policy, and demographic changes, or events such as COVID, that impact our work and may affect trends in the data. Shifts or inflection points in the data may reflect these changes rather than underlying changes in office performance or practice.
Justice Reinventment
Legislation established local or regional Justice Reinvestment advisory councils to evaluate local criminal justice systems and promote evidence-based practices, alternatives to incarceration, and recidivism reduction.
Juvenile Justice Reforms
Legislation eliminated automatic adult charges for felony handgun possession among youth, favoring a more rehabilitative approach for adolescents.
Drug Law Penalties
Legislation significantly increased penalties for fentanyl-related offenses, adjusting weights to reflect the drug's potency.
County Population Increase
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Hancock County grew by more 18,000 people - an increase of 25% in just 10 years.
This dashboard was created through the collaboration of the Hancock County Prosecutor's Office and the Prosecutorial Performance Indicators. The goal of the dashboard is to ensure that the general public has access to data about the prosecution of criminal cases in Hancock County. This project has been supported by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the Microsoft Justice Reform Initiative.
