A program that pairs public defenders with case workers to connect criminal defendants to social services has been so successful that New Jersey officials want to expand it statewide.
The state Office of the Public Defender helped 773 clients get housing, health care, jobs, and other support last year under a “holistic defense representation” strategy it piloted in Atlantic, Hudson, and Monmouth counties. That was five times as many people as the office connected to social services the year before.
Most people who participated in the pilot program have not gotten rearrested, said Jennifer Sellitti, the state public defender.
“The root causes of crime are very often instability in housing, in wellness, in education, in job opportunity, and things like that,” Sellitti said. “The more opportunities that we can give to people to find employment, mental health treatment, substance use disorder treatment, licenses — whatever it is that they’re trying to do — the more likely they are to be successful.”
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Sen. Gary Schaer (D-Passaic) introduced legislation Monday to expand the program to all 21 counties in New Jersey. He cited the pilot program’s success as reason why it should go statewide, saying it helps people with significant basic needs. About 25% of the program’s participants had no permanent housing, 60% had a mental health diagnosis, and 80% needed assistance getting jobs and workforce training, according to the public defender’s office.
“It’s working exactly as one would hope it would,” Schaer said.
Holistic defense allows public defenders to focus solely on legal defense and enables defendants, even before sentencing, to show judges that their rehabilitation is already underway, Sellitti added. Her office represents people who can’t afford private attorneys — about three quarters of criminal defendants in state court.
Under Schaer’s bill, the public defender’s office would have to annually report data on participation, outcomes, and costs to legislators, the governor, and the state Supreme Court. Sen. Benjie Wimberly (D-Passaic) is the chief sponsor of the measure’s Senate version.
With a projected price tag of $6 million a year, Schaer acknowledged the expansion could be a tough sell as legislators mull Gov. Mikie Sherrill’s $60.7 billion budget plan and its many controversial proposed cuts.
But the state pays an average of $75,000 a year to incarcerate one person, Schaer noted. Holistic defense could save the state a bundle in the long run by diverting people from prison and reducing recidivism, he said. The public defender’s office predicts a potential savings of up to $730 million in avoided incarceration costs annually, across all their clients.
“It’s to everyone’s net benefit,” Schaer said.
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