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Disparity in the State Funding of Public Defense Programs Outside the City of New York

NCJ Number
91814
Author(s)
D Hall
Date Published
1983
Length
45 pages
Annotation
Public defense services in New York State have been grossly underfunded in the State programs. At a minimum, the State should develop a rational funding scheme for these programs, with parity-per-case financing presenting at least a starting point for such a scheme.
Abstract
Historically, New York State has funded public defense and prosecution through three programs: the State Felony Program, the Major Violent Offense Trial Program, and the Major Offense Prosecution Program. None of the programs has a funding scheme based on sound fiscal policy, and there is a consistent underfunding of defense services. The Special Felony Program and the Major Violent Offense Trial Program both have unjustified inconsistencies in their funding patterns. The defense components of Onondaga and Erie Counties are uniquely underfunded in both these programs. The charts and graphs presented in this report document funding disparity between defense and prosecution. To document these differences as disparity, a legitimate basis upon which funds should be distributed was determined. The comparative caseloads between defense and prosecution programs within a county was selected as the basis for determining funding disparity. Graphic data are provided for funding under each program by county.