Prosecutors attend implicit bias training

Yolo County District Attorney’s Office hosted a mandatory human relations facilitated training for local prosecutors.

The Yolo County District Attorney’s Office hosted a mandatory human relations facilitated training for all Yolo County prosecutors in order to teach prosecutors about how implicit bias can impact prosecution.

The training was facilitated by Josef Levy of Embassy Consulting Services, and also focused on procedural justice — or the idea of fairness in both resolving issues and distributing resources.

The training, which was held on March 31, was the second full day of implicit bias training offered to prosecutors. The Yolo County DA’s Office is the first District Attorney’s office in the state to require all prosecutors to attend implicit bias training, according to a statement from Chief Deputy District Attorney Jonathan Raven.

The training covered the differences between stereotype, prejudice, discrimination and oppression. Levy facilitated a discussion about walking on the “side of the fence” with “more advantages” or “fewer advantages,” as well as the importance of empathy when working with other people.

According to Raven’s statement, Levy explained that “we all have biases and we are ‘wired’ that way,” and it is important to recognize those biases. In the criminal justice system, Levy noted that biases can impact prosecutors throughout the process, including charging, selecting a jury, plea bargaining and sentencing.

“It’s important we all recognize our implicit bias, as we make decisions that will have a huge impact on so many people,” stated Deputy District Attorney Preston Schaub. “We must take our time, deliberate, take a step back and check ourselves.”

The outcome of these trainings will be evaluated to determine the long-term impact.

District Attorney Jeff Reisig stated that implicit bias training is the most important training his office can offer.

“As prosecutors, we make significant decisions and it is imperative we understand the role our biases play every day on the job,” Reisig stated. “I’m so pleased our prosecutors are open-minded. They are very introspective, and they want to do even better with the way in which they do their jobs and live their lives.”

Earlier this year, 70 staff members with the DA’s Office voluntarily participated in a six-week program that focused on systemic racism and the prosecutor’s role in addressing it. The program was a collaboration between multiple partners, including: the Vera Institute of Justice, For the People and the Public Rights Project. It was was supported by the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative.

In June, the District Attorney’s Office will be the second in the state to launch a “Blind Charging” program. The office has been working with Stanford University to develop computer code that will redact all information from police reports that identify a suspect or victim’s race or ethnicity in an effort to eliminate implicit bias in deciding whether or not to file criminal charges.

“I’m very excited to launch this program that we’ve been working on for over a year,” Reisig stated. “I hope other offices across the state and country follow suit.”

The training covered the differences between stereotype, prejudice, discrimination and oppression.