Indigent Defense Awards
NIJ has awarded more than $1.6 million to three organizations to evaluate efforts to improve indigent defense in the U.S. The awards were announced by Acting Associate Attorney General Tony West at a United Nations event about access to justice issues around the world.
The research includes:
- An empirical evaluation of the holistic approach to individual defense.
- An examination of factors that influence the decision for juveniles to waive their right to counsel.
- An examination of the resource constraints and the practical and ethical challenges of representing indigent defendants with mental health disorders.