The Center for Holistic Defense: Supporting a New Vision for Public Defense Project

The Bronx Defenders Center for Holistic Defense is a resource center for public defender offices seeking training and concrete assistance in adopting holistic defense in their own jurisdiction. The Center also serves the broader community of criminal justice stakeholders, individual advocates, policy makers, community organizations and others seeking to learn more about Holistic Defense as well as to obtain concrete assistance in adopting holistic defense in their own jurisdiction. Holistic Defense is an innovative, client centered and interdisciplinary model of public defense that addresses both the circumstances driving poor people into the criminal justice system as well as the devastating consequences of criminal justice involvement by offering criminal, and related civil legal representation, social work support and advocacy in the client community. Holistic defense is an innovative model of public defense that seeks not only to zealously advocate for clients in court but address the causes and consequences of criminal justice involvement by offering civil legal services and non-legal social work support. In so doing, holistic defenders achieve better outcomes in court, stabilize client lives, reduce recidivism, and, ultimately, help to restore confidence in the criminal justice system. The recipient will utilize the award to provide 24 months of intensive training and technical assistance in holistic defense to defender offices. NCA/NCF