"Collateral Consequences" of the Criminal Legal System: An Overview

Empowering Public Defenders Transforms The Legal System

In its current form, the American carceral system robs people of opportunity, tears families apart, and destabilizes entire communities. Unlike police, prisons, and prosecutors, public defenders are uniquely situated to empower those facing the criminal legal system, shrink the system itself by reducing incarceration, and transform our approach to public safety.