One of the first attempts to engage in a dialogue concerning emerging trends in prosecution took place in meetings convened through the Executive Session for State and Local Prosecutors, held at the Program in Criminal Justice Policy and Management from 1986 to 1990. Participants included prosecutors from around the country. Discussions focused on the current state of prosecution, including differing conceptions of the role of the prosecutor.

Writing about these conceptions, Zachary Tumin described "institution building" prosecutors who were problem solvers, and used their position as chief law enforcement officer in the community to bring together and direct all available criminal justice resources in a coherent effort.

Download a pdf of the "Findings and Discoveries of the Harvard University Executive Session for State and Local Prosecutors at the John F. Kennedy School of Government (1986-90)."

For a more recent perspective on the role of prosecutors, visit the website of the Executive Session on Reimagining the Role of the Prosecutor in the Community, hosted by the Institute for Innovation in Prosecution at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, which was moderated by PCJ Senior Research Fellow Frank Hartmann.