Justice System Reform

Criminal Justice Reform

As the provider of legal counsel for our city’s poorest residents, we represent children, youth, and adults whose liberty, safety, and futures are at stake. Our legislative and policy work is guided by what we see in courtrooms, detention centers, and treatment facilities, and informed by our data, client and family experiences, and evidence-based best practices.

We combine direct representation with systemic advocacy to ensure that our clients and communities receive fair treatment, constitutional protections, and meaningful opportunities to build full lives.

The Defender Association advocates for:

  • public defense funding that ensures effective and holistic representation for indigent clients, aiming for parity in funding with criminal law enforcement and prosecutorial agencies;
  • public defender offices to maintain independence from political interference; and to
  • Protect the right to counsel at every stage of the legal process.

The Defender Association works to promote legislation and polices that:

  • oppose the use of jails as de facto psychiatric facilities;
  • ban solitary confinement, especially for youth and individuals with mental illness
  • guarantee access to medical and mental health care
  • oppose excessive use of force
  • improve grievance systems and oversight
  • support independent monitoring

The Defender Association’s view is that children should be treated like children, not adults. We are working with community partners and elected officials to promote and pass legislation that

  • Raises the minimum age of prosecution;
  • Expands diversion;
  • Eliminates youth prosecution as adult;
  • Shortens lengths of stay in out of home facilities;
  • Invests in community based placements; 
  • Protects youth from solitary confinement; and 
  • Strengthen procedural protections, like specialized Miranda warnings for youth

Successful community reintegration is vital for reducing recidivism and enhancing public safety. The Defender Association believe that the following areas are necessary to help clients transition from incarceration to community life, address systemic barriers, and foster an environment where they can thrive. 

  • Pre-Release Planning
  • Collateral Consequences Reform
  • Community Supervision Reforms

The way people are sentenced in our justice system often results in prison terms that are unnecessarily long and harsh. This approach doesn’t help with rehabilitation or making our communities safer. To build a fairer, more effective system, the Defender Association supports policies and legislation that focus on ending the practice of excessive prison sentences, including:

  1. Creating second look sentencing mechanisms;
  2. Compassionate Release;
  3. Presumptive parole after lengthy terms;
  4. Transparent clemency criteria; and 
  5. Priority review for elderly, those who have served lengthy sentences, or those sentenced to lengthy sentencing as young adults.