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Date: April 30, 2024 Tue
Time: 1:12 am
Time: 1:12 am
Results for public defenders (u.s.)
1 results foundAuthor: Taylor, Kate Title: System Overload: The Costs of Under-Resourcing Public Defense Summary: The defender systems that people must turn to are too often completely overwhelmed; many dedicated defenders simply have too many cases, too little time and too few resources to provide quality or even adequate legal representation. Failing to provide the constitutionally guaranteed right to effective counsel, regardless of one’s ability to pay, is not simply a denial of justice, it is costly to individuals, families, communities and taxpayers. Individuals who do not receive quality defense may be more likely to end up behind bars or with a criminal conviction that will follow them for the rest of their lives. Families are torn apart when a loved one is sent to prison or can no longer work due to the collateral consequences of a conviction. Communities suffer both in terms of public safety and through unnecessarily losing friends, neighbors and co-workers who are locked up. And taxpayers bear the monetary costs when under-resourcing legal defense results in more—and more expensive—incarceration. Some public defender offices are providing quality legal representation to their clients, and countless dedicated defenders work hard for their clients despite the struggling systems around them. The problem lies in a system that saddles defenders with excessive workloads and inadequate resources. By not fully investing in public defense systems, states and counties are frequently choosing incarceration over justice, leading to increased costs now and in the future. With many states struggling with overwhelming criminal justice populations and incarceration costs, the need to address the chronic crisis of public defense is as great as ever. Details: Washington, DC: Justice Policy Institute, 2011. 46p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed July 27, 2011 at: http://www.justicepolicy.org/uploads/justicepolicy/documents/system_overload_final.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.justicepolicy.org/uploads/justicepolicy/documents/system_overload_final.pdf Shelf Number: 122186 Keywords: Legal Assistance to the PoorPublic Defenders (U.S.) |