NCJ Number
145250
Journal
Criminal Justice Volume: 8 Issue: 3 Dated: (Fall 1993) Pages: 2-7,47-50
Date Published
1993
Length
10 pages
Annotation
The Neighborhood Defender Service (NDS), opened in December 1990 in Harlem, New York, is one of the few experimental public defender programs to become operational since Gideon v. Wainwright established the right to counsel for the indigent in criminal cases.
Abstract
The NDS is organized differently from traditional public defenders. Its work is neighborhood-based rather than court-based, with lawyers on call 24 hours a day. The NDS provides representation through teams of lawyers and nonlawyers rather than through individual attorneys, and it defines representation around the client's problems rather than around a specific criminal case. The work of the NDS is automated to allow everyone access to the same information. Computerized data tell all individuals involved exactly what is happening in a case, and continuing efforts to refine and improve the computer system have facilitated the formulation of long-term goals for the NDS. Computerized client records contain specific client data, along with information on criminal records, conflicts of interest in client representation, police involvement in a case, court appearance scheduling, case investigation and preparation, and social services. The NDS system of team representation highlights the possibilities of much closer work between lawyers, investigators, and persons with social work skills. The result is an environment where clients are more trusting and client advocacy is improved.