BJS has been working closely with the American Bar Association, the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, and the National Legal Aid and Defenders Association and other indigent defense providers to identify important areas for data collection. Changes in indigent defense services Basic data on indigent defense systems in each of the 50 States were last collected in 1986. Over the past decade much has changed in the delivery of indigent defense services as States and local defender systems have begun relying more on contract and private services. Numerous policy developments, such as the advent of drug courts and changes in death penalty and juvenile offender statutes, have impacted the delivery of indigent services. The National Survey of Indigent Defense Systems will provide a better understanding of the changing nature of public defender services in the United States.
Project objectives Identify the characteristics of indigent defense systems.
Document mechanisms through which legal services are provided to indigent criminal defendants. Measure caseloads, staff size, and office policies and practices across the States. Describe the type of offenses handled by indigent defense organizations as well as associated costs, funding sources, and other administrative issues. Describe State and local services provided to indigent criminal defendants and how the indigent defense system interacts with the criminal justice system. A gunshot detection system is composed of acoustic sensors that identify and discriminate gunshots, transmitting a message to the police computer dispatch center within seconds of a gun being fired.