FY22 JRJ - State of Arizona

Project Abstract

Program Goals:

Incentivize prosecutors and public defenders to choose or remain in public service by lessening the burden of educational debt obligations.
Provide substantial and meaningful awards to successful applicants while maximizing the number of awards available.
Adhere to the statutory mandate by making awards based on the applicant’s ability to pay while balancing geographic and demographic diversity.
Ensure equal amounts allocated to prosecutor and public defender groups and attempt to provide equal awards to prosecutors and public defenders individually.

Strategy:

Partner with Arizona criminal justice associations and agencies to conduct a widespread outreach campaign ensuring eligible applicants are aware of the Grant and informed of the application process. 
Utilize a fair and understandable method for calculating “ability to pay.”
Divide the state into geographic sectors representing various population densities.
Collect data and conduct surveys to comply with reporting requirements.

Number of Employed Prosecutors, Public Defenders and Federal Public Defenders:

FY10

(1st year of JRJ fund availability)

FY16

FY20

FY21

FY22

Prosecutors

798 (as of 11/2010)

800 (as of 12/2015)

912 (as of 7/2019)

893 (as of 2/2021)

901 (as of 7/2021)

Public Defenders

588 (as of 7/2010)

615 (as of 4/2016)

615 (as of 4/2016)

800 (as of 2/2021)

800 (as of 2/2021)

Federal Public Defenders

75 (as of 9/30/2010)

66 (as of 3/7/2016)

66 (as of 3/2016)

66 (as of 3/2016)

66 (as of 3/2016)

Estimated Total

1,461

1,481

1,593

1,759

1,767