Episode 87
Public Defense Reimagined: A New Jersey Blueprint
Hosted by Matt Adams
“Most people don't want to commit crime. There are very few people who go out of their house in the morning and say, 'I'm going to commit crime.' ... Most people are dealing with experiences in their lives, be that addiction, be that mental health issues, be that an inability to get a job or housing, that are maybe not the direct cause of crime, but certainly part of a constellation of things that keep people trapped in a cycle."In this episode of The Presumption of Innocence, host Matt Adams sits down with Jennifer Sellitti, who leads New Jersey’s Office of the Public Defender, to discuss her office’s holistic defense pilot in Atlantic, Hudson and Monmouth Counties.
The program pairs attorneys with client service specialists, many who have firsthand experience with the justice system, to connect clients with a range of services that address the broader needs driving criminal justice involvement.
The pilot has shown promising results for participants: a 98% arrest-free rate among a parole-related subset, prison sentences that are 65% shorter than the national average, and an average reduction of 2.2 years in state prison exposure.
At an estimated $75,000 per year to incarcerate one person in state prison, Sellitti explains the program could generate substantial taxpayer savings while helping clients rebuild their lives. Legislation is pending to expand the program across New Jersey.
Sellitti also discusses the core role of public defenders in protecting constitutional rights, including her office’s recent representation of protesters arrested outside Newark’s Delaney Hall ICE detention facility.
The views expressed in this podcast are those of the participants and should not be considered the views of Fox Rothschild LLP or its attorneys. This podcast is for informational purposes only, is not legal advice, and does not create an attorney-client relationship.