Examples of Well-Written Reports
In an attempt to identify some well-written reports to serve as examples for grand juries and for the Report Writing Workshops, CGJA trainers randomly sampled recent grand jury reports from throughout the state and selected the set included here. Their inclusion here is, therefore, illustrative rather than comprehensive. The intent is to respond to requests to see examples of reports that are well written, based on CGJA training criteria.
You may access copies of these reports by clicking on the links in the list below. The original reports are contained within the respective county website which can be found by clicking here to access any of the county’s grand jury website and find their reports. In some cases the report listed here is only contained in a consolidated final report on the county website.
Santa Clara - 2017-2018, Affordable Housing Crisis - Density is our Destiny
Sacramento - 2017-2018, Is There a Home for Every Foster Child
Orange - 2017-2018, Orange County Landfills: Talking Trash
Marin - 2017-2018, The Future of Juvenile Detention in Marin, A Follow-up Report
San Francisco - 2017-2018, Crisis Intervention: Bridging Police and Public Health
San Diego - 2017-2018, The Hepatitis A Epidemic: (Mis)Handling a Public Health Crisis
Tuolumne - 2018, Tuolumne County Economic Development Authority
Napa - 2017-2018, The Williamson Act in Napa - Subsidizing a Lifestyle
El Dorado - 2016-2017, Cameron Park Airport District
Orange - 2016-2017, Unfinished Business: Responses to 2015-2016 Orange County Grand Jury Reports
Shasta - 2016-2017, Shasta County Sheriff's Office - Animal Regulation Unit
Mendocino - 2016-2017, Formula Business Restriction
Alameda - 2016-2017, Backroom Dealing in Developing City-Owned Properties in Oakland
Napa - 2016-2017, Napa County Jail - Where are we headed?
San Mateo - 2016-2017, Animal Care and Control in San Mateo County
El Dorado - 2016-2017, Responses to 2015-2016 Grand Jury Reports; Looking Back and Looking Ahead
Fresno - 2015-2016, Selma Unified Changes Come at a Steep Price
Mendocino - 2015-2016, The District Attorney's Marijuana Restitution Program
Sonoma - 2015-2016, Law Library
Shasta - 2015-2016, Mental Health Crisis, Following the Call
Humboldt - 2015-2016, The Humboldt County Mental Health Board
Santa Barbara - 2015-2016, County of Santa Barbara Commissions, Committees, and Boards
San Diego - 2015-2016, San Ysidro School District Business
San Francisco - 2015-2016, Drinking Water Safety in San Francisco: A Reservoir of Good Practice
Placer - 2015-2016, Placer County Implements Assisted Outpatient Treatment, "Laura's Law"
Kings - 2015-2016, Kings County Veteran Services
In addition, CGJA’s annual Excellence in Reporting Award recognizes the best report of those nominated each year by chapters or associations (or members in counties where there is no chapter or association). These award-winning reports can be found here. The criteria for the awards include the editorial merit, the effectiveness of the report, and the impact on the community. These reports do not necessarily reflect the content, format, and style recommended during this workshop, but they are good reports that have been shown to make a demonstrable difference.