Rachel Rossi, Director of the Office for Access to Justice, delivered opening remarks at the World Affairs Council’s event titled “From Local to Global: Justice Reform & Community Engagement in the United States and Ukraine” on September 24, 2024. The event brought together representatives from Ukraine and Seattle to discuss community prosecution efforts and equal access to justice.
Rossi began by thanking Fraser and the World Affairs Council for organizing the panel, as well as Jared Kimball and colleagues from the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) for their collaboration. She acknowledged the Ukrainian Prosecutor General’s Office for its community-driven prosecution approaches during challenging times.
"Roman Shpyrka is here with us from the Office of Ukraine’s Prosecutor General with a number of his colleagues," Rossi said. "Roman – thank you and your team for being here and for all you are doing in the face of unimaginable challenges."
Rossi emphasized that community-driven approaches align with ensuring equal access to justice. She highlighted that achieving access to justice requires dismantling barriers, accelerating innovative strategies, and safeguarding legal systems' integrity.
"This is the mission of the Office for Access to Justice," she stated. "As a stand-alone federal office, we are housed within the Justice Department – because closing access to justice gaps for all is central to the pursuit of justice."
She quoted Attorney General Merrick B. Garland: “We are responsible not only for enforcing the law but for upholding the Rule of Law.” Garland also quoted former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy: “It must be our purpose … to insure that the department over which I preside is more than a Department of Prosecution and is in fact the Department of Justice.”
Rossi outlined several initiatives aimed at improving access to justice, including engagement with communities through culturally responsive approaches via their Language Access Program. The program has partnered with various U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and other Justice Department offices to translate public-facing materials.
She mentioned efforts like Access DOJ initiative and Federal Government Pro Bono Program aimed at making Justice Department programs more efficient and accessible while assisting federal prosecutors in providing pro bono legal help.
Prosecutors can support access by ensuring robust public defense functions through resources like their Public Defense Resource Hub. Rossi noted partnerships with entities like the Federal Bureau of Prisons to review access to counsel in federal pretrial facilities.
Innovative approaches such as moving away from reliance on fines and fees were also discussed. Rossi cited their spotlight report highlighting promising practices across various jurisdictions.
The collaboration between U.S. prosecutors and those in Ukraine was another focus area, with virtual sessions organized by OPDAT covering topics such as youth justice, trauma-informed engagement, community-based alternatives, diversion programs, restorative justice, data-driven strategies, working with displaced persons, and veterans' issues.
This week’s event featured innovations driven by King County Prosecutor's Office focused on addiction struggles through LEAD (Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion), a partnership directing individuals involved in low-level drug activity into intensive services.
Rossi concluded by emphasizing continued collaboration towards increasing community trust and strengthening rule of law globally: "Together we can increase community trust and strengthen rule of law." She then introduced moderator Dan Satterburg.