Needs Assessment of Public Defense in Rural Texas

• In Event: Data in Indigent Defense: Vulnerable Populations and Rehabilitation

Abstract

Rural counties face significant challenges to offering indigent defense services to their citizens. For many counties in Texas, these challenges are reaching crisis level. With this in mind, the Texas Legislature asked the Texas Indigent Defense Commission (TIDC) to conduct a needs assessment on public defender services and resources in rural areas of Texas. Texas A&M University contracted with TIDC to conduct this study. With over 500 surveys, dozens of stakeholder interviews, and other data sources, the study provides a comprehensive analysis of the issues facing indigent defense in rural areas. We describe the current state of criminal and indigent defense resources in Texas, followed by the advantages and disadvantages of public defender offices in addressing these issues. Our presentation will detail these findings and potential next steps for policymakers and state agencies to consider.

Authors

• Georges Naufal, Texas A&M University

• Emily Naiser, Texas A&M University