NLADA - Pre-trial Capacity Building - WV
Because the quality of justice in America should not depend on how much money a person has, NLADA leads a broad network of advocates on the front lines to advance justice and expand opportunity for all by promoting excellence in the delivery of legal services for people who cannot afford counsel. This new VISTA project, Defending Communities in Service, will build sustainable community relationships and data systems and practices that allow participating public defender offices to more holistically support communities in need. VISTAs will build capacity within their host organizations focused on two separate tracks of service: you will serve as the driving force connecting their hosting Public Defender office to other justice system stakeholders, community organizations and service providers, strategic leaders, and to other relevant local National Service operations. These connections will help the public defenders to more effectively provide wraparound services to their clients and to more clearly understand and communicate the overall local services landscape upon which their clients rely. All NLADA VISTA project members will explore opportunities to utilize technology and automation to create communication and data-sharing channels between public defenders and human services organizations designed to last beyond the period of their projects, with minimal maintenance required.
Duties : Public Defender Services (PDS) needs to analyze how courts utilize pre-trial/pre-sentencing alternatives & how it impacts incarceration rates. A VISTA interested in analytical processes & criminal justice reform will work with PDS to obtain the necessary evidence to meaningfully analyze the use/lack of use of alternatives to incarceration. You will work to identify the pre-trial & pre-sentencing alternatives available. You will identify sources of data to analyze the use & effectiveness of alternatives. You will engage with WV’s 19 public defender corporations to understand the use of alternatives throughout WV. You will then assist PDS to prepare educational programs for attorneys & judges on alternatives & on a report for decision makers for potential reform. You will assist PDS to communicate about the need to advocate for the use of alternatives & provide the info needed for courts to use such programs.