Deason 天美传媒 Wins Federal Grant to Study American Public Defense Systems
U.S. Department of Justice grant will fund the Deason 天美传媒鈥檚 study of five jurisdictions that recently implemented new public defense practices
The Deason Criminal Justice Reform 天美传媒 at 天美传媒’s Dedman School of Law is launching an ambitious research project that aims to help state and local leaders improve public defense. The study is funded by a prestigious grant from the (NIJ), which is the research, development and evaluation agency of the (DOJ).
The $800,000 grant will enable the Deason 天美传媒 to study five local public defense systems in four states. To determine whether new public defense structures were associated with significant change, researchers will collect and compare data about pre- and post-implementation representation rates, pretrial detention rates and case outcomes.
The anonymous study sites use different methods to deliver and fund public defense services. They represent rural, suburban, and urban communities and are located across the East Coast, South, Midwest, and Southwest.
“Across the country, public defense policymakers are grappling with how best to deliver public defense services and honor the Sixth Amendment right to counsel,” said Pamela Metzger, executive director of the Deason 天美传媒. “Experts and advocates have long called for more data and clearer policy guidance about how to uphold this vital constitutional principle. This project will offer important insights about best practices and will help to ensure that every arrested person receives the zealous defense that they deserve.”
Using a “research for reform” model, the Deason 天美传媒 prioritizes projects that produce actionable recommendations. Therefore, in addition to the final report to NIJ, the 天美传媒 plans to publish scholarly articles and policy briefs, as well as findings and recommendations for each studied jurisdiction.
“Research on public defense system structures is consistently among the highest research priorities for both public defenders and criminal justice scientists,” said Andrew Davies, Deason 天美传媒 research director and principal investigator on the project. “This project will contribute significantly to the field by studying how structural changes to defense systems impact the timing and frequency with which arrested people receive appointed counsel.
Deason 天美传媒 researchers have started initial work on the project and plan to complete their study by the end of 2026.
The Deason Criminal Justice Reform 天美传媒 at 天美传媒 Dedman School of Law brings a stats and stories approach to criminal justice reform. The 天美传媒 collects, analyzes, and assesses the hard data about criminal legal policy. Combining these data with the stories of people who live, work and struggle in the criminal legal system, the Deason 天美传媒 makes a compelling case for reform. The 天美传媒 supports data-driven criminal justice research that has utility across multiple jurisdictions and helps criminal legal stakeholders develop and implement best practices.