November 15, 2013

On October 30, 2013, Attorney General Eric Holder announced $6.7 million in grants to improve criminal and civil legal defense services for the poor at the state and local levels. The grants—which the Office of Justice Programs' Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, National Institute of Justice, and Bureau of Justice Assistance will administer—will support training, mentoring, technical assistance, leadership development, and research to improve indigent defense practices for adult, juvenile, and tribal populations nationwide. Announcing the grant awards, Holder said, "The Department of Justice has made a commitment to improving the delivery, quality, and availability of legal services for everyone in our country, including the very poor. Today's significant grant awards will help ensure America's criminal justice system is fair for every defendant, regardless of wealth."

Resources:

Learn more about the Justice Department's Access to Justice initiative, which works to strengthen and improve legal services for disadvantaged groups.

Learn more about OJJDP's Juvenile Indigent Defense National Clearinghouse.