Quarterly Report Q3 /Apr-Jun 2016: Criminal Justice System Strengthened Project

Agency for International Development (USAID) Dominican Republic and implemented by Chemonics International. The project's overall objective is to strengthen the criminal justice system in the Dominican Republic by improving the quality and effectiveness of prosecutions. The project works within the Dominican Republic's local justice system to foster adherence to rule of law and defend citizens' human rights. Project goals include improved access to justice, speedy justice, equality and impartiality, combatting impunity, and strengthening justice operator functional independence and responsibility, professionalism, and levels of integrity among operators that garner public confidence in the justice system. The project is divided into two results packages: Results Package 1 (RP1) and Results Package 2 (RP2). RP1 focuses on improving prosecutor effectiveness, while RP2 focuses on strengthening prosecutor and police oversight. Key activities under RP1 include maximizing the use of criminal case decongestion mechanisms, improving case management and monitoring, and strengthening legal protection of vulnerable groups. Under RP2, key activities include strengthening oversight management by superior councils, improving professional conduct of prosecutors and national police through revitalized ethics and accountability standards, and more effective citizens and civil society oversight of operators working within a modernized criminal justice system. Expected outcomes of the project include improved public ministry/national police working relationships and coordination, a designed and implemented prosecutor management model for Santo Domingo Province, improved public ministry capacity to manage criminal investigations, and the establishment of seven new USAID community justice houses. The project has made significant progress in its first three quarters, with notable achievements including the expansion and systemization of community justice houses, the increase and expansion of alternative dispute resolution among community and justice system actors, and the improvement of case management and monitoring. Additionally, the project has strengthened legal protection of vulnerable groups and improved professional conduct of prosecutors and national police through revitalized ethics and accountability standards. The project's geographic focus is the Dominican Republic, with a specific emphasis on the provinces of Santo Domingo and Santiago. The project's timeframes are from April 1, 2016, to June 30, 2016, and the project's recommendations include continued support for the project's activities and outcomes. The project has several institutional partners, including EDF Consulting, Inc., Participación Ciudadana, Fundación Institucionalidad y Justicia, and Pontificia Universidad Católica Madre y Maestra. The project's implementation is overseen by a contracting officer's representative, Lissette Dumit, and the project's chief of party is Ronald Glass.