The Effects of Additional Public Defense Support Staff in Family Court: Results from Experimental Pilots

• In Event: Data in Indigent Defense: Support Staff and Holistic Defense

Abstract

Funds newly allocated in 2021 allowed the deployment of several public-defense-oriented pilot projects in multiple Indiana jurisdictions aimed at improving the functioning of the family court system. Several of these pilots involved providing additional support staff to clients in family court cases. These pilots were evaluated using either randomized controlled trial or quasi-experimental pre-test/post-test designs. This presentation describes the design, limitations, and results of these pilots.

Author

• Torrin Liddell, Indiana Commission on Court Appointed Attorneys