Washington State's external case review program

Abstract

Washington State has established the first-in-the-nation legislatively-mandated external case review program to examine both the law enforcement and the prosecutorial response to sexual assault cases. The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission's (CJTC) Case Systems Training Review (CSTR) program is an external review of law enforcement and prosecutorial case files, which, by design, limits direct involvement from law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies that are associated with that case. It is expected that reducing conflicts of interest when addressing the backlog will lead to more equitable, sustainable, and comprehensive solutions. The central questions addressed in these reviews include: Why are certain sexual assault cases dropping out of the criminal justice system? Why are so few arrests made in these cases? Why are so few cases ever prosecuted? The answers to these questions are critical to establishing tangible reform in how the criminal justice system responds to sexual assault and seeks justice for survivors. This chapter details the history and work of the CSTR program. It provides insights gleaned from the program to reform law enforcement training protocols, improve case outcomes, and reduce case attrition nationwide. As Washington is the first state in the nation to create a sexual assault case review program of this kind, this groundbreaking legislation establishes Washington as the national leader in reforming the law enforcement and prosecutorial response to sexual assault cases and suggests a best-practice approach for other states to enact.