Keeping the Promise

public defender service

Fortifying & Reforming The Culture of Public Defense

In Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), the United States Supreme Court unanimously ruled that every person accused of a crime in America must be provided with legal defense counsel, regardless of their economic status or ability to pay.

 

 

Stand with Gideon’s Promise

 

For 15 years and counting, the mission of Gideon’s Promise is to transform the criminal legal system by building a movement of public defenders who provide equal justice for marginalized communities. Gideon’s Promise, through its heroic public defenders, is working to reduce the effects of poverty, build stronger and more resilient communities, and keep families together. Founded in 2007 by MacArthur ‘Genius’ Fellow, Jonathan Rapping, and former educator, Ilham Askia, Gideon’s Promise has trained and supported over 1,500 public defenders across the country to transform the way public defense is practiced in America. Over 80% of Americans arrested cannot afford a private attorney, and will have a public defender appointed to them. Gideon’s Promise answers the need to have caring, confident and committed public defenders in every courtroom across America. Gideon’s Promise is collaborating with systems and individuals across 27 states to make justice a reality for all.

Lady Justice's Scale Isn't Balanced Yet

80% of people accused of a crime are represented by a public defender. Despite this reality, prosecutors’ offices nationwide receive $3.5 billion more in annual funding than public defender offices.

57% of incarcerated men and 72% of incarcerated women were in poverty prior to their arrest. Still, many states are decreasing funding for the public defenders dedicated to protecting these people.

The average caseload of a Gideon’s Promise-trained public defender is 250 cases per year. The American Bar Association recommends 150 felony cases annually.

Quotations

Featured Stories

“I work hard to provide my clients with the same dedication and service people would pay a lot of money for, because money is not my motivator.”

Read more here.

Kevin Coker

Attorney at the Metropolitan Public Defender's Office in Nashville, TN

Quotations

Featured Stories

I do not blame [the public defender] for what happened to my son. I just know that the system needs to be changed.”

Read more here.

Ms. Shana Bennett

Ms. Shana Bennett, whose son didn't receive zealous defense

Quotations

Featured Stories

“My client was old enough to be in jail, but not old enough to be properly treated in a facility that would help him in becoming competent enough to have a conversation with his attorney.”

Read more here. 

Alaina Bloodworth

Deputy Director for the Black Public Defender Association

Quotations

Featured Stories

“As a judge, I am committed to allowing attorneys–like Gideon’s Promise attorneys–to be able to litigate their case the same way they would be able to litigate it if they were working for a big law firm defending some multinational company.”

Read more here.

Honorable Judge Todd Edelman

Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia

Gideon’s Promise supports public defenders from our partner offices so that we can work together to transform the organizations and the systems in which they work. 

Upcoming Events

Featured News & Media

News & Media

Abandoned in the Flood: The Inhumane Treatment of Incarcerated People in Louisiana's 2024 Disaster

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Executive Director Response to Sonya Massey Police Shooting

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Gideon's Promise Launches Critical Training for Public Defenders

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2023 Annual Report

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Announcing Our New Executive Director, Zanele Ngubeni

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2022 Annual Report

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Booker, Durbin Introduce Bills to Improve Access to Counsel Guaranteed by Constitution and Increase Representation of Public Defenders in U.S. Criminal Justice System

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Episode 28 – The 2022 Rap Up

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Episode 27 - Reserved for Justice

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Episode 26 - Honoring the Hispanic Community, Liberating the Next Generation

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Episode 25 - Back to School: Exploring the School to Prison Pipeline

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Episode 24 - Good Trouble Only

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Dobbs v. Jackson Official Statement

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Episode 23 - Stories of Fatherhood

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Gideon’s Promise Blazes Trails in Supporting Public Defenders in the Fight to End Mass Incarceration

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Episode 22 - My Mama, My Lawyer, My Shield

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The Augusta Chronicle

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2021 Annual Report

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Episode 21 – Let the Griots Tell It

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We’ve launched our new website!

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Arnold Ventures

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Gideon’s Promise Announces 2022 LSPP Fellows

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Episode 20 – Women in Power

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Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson Nominated for U.S. Supreme Court Justice

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Episode 19 – Black History Isn’t Just a Thing of the Past

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2022 Igniting Change hosted by Gideon’s Promise on March 17th!

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Episode 18 – I Need a Mentor, And I Need One Now!

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Episode 17 – The 2021 Rap Up

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Episode 16 – No Rookies, Just Vets

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Episode 15 – A Vote for Justice

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The Rick Ungar Show

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Episode 14 – The Fight for Our Legal Rights

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The Young Turks

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Ring of Fire

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Keen On with Andrew Keen

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Episode 13 – Part Two: What Does Independence Look Like in 2021?

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Episode 12 – Part One: What Does Emancipation Look Like in 2021?

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Left of Law School

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The Nomiki Show

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Make it Plain with Mark Thompson

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WDET 101.9 FM

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The Hill

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Episode 11 – Let’s Get Into It: Your Mental Health Matters

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Keeping the Promise of Equity for All People

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Episode 10 – Breaking Through the System: The Path to Healing

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Gideon’s Promise Welcomes 10 New LSPP Fellows

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Episode 9 – The Pipeline to Social Justice: From the Classroom to the Courtroom

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KISS 1044.1 FM Atlanta's R&B

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Episode 8 – Public Defenders and the Communities They Serve

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Episode 7 – Women of Color: Architects in the Public Defense Movement

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Criminal Justice Reform with Jonathan Rapping & Ilham Askia

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Episode 6 – The 2020 Election: Is History Repeating Itself?

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WBAI Radio

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Episode 5 – From the Voices

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JewishBoston

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90.1 FM WABE

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Law360

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Episode 4 – Public Defenders in the Trenches

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National Urban League

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1380 WAOK - The Rashad Richey Morning Show

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The Atlanta Voice

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Rude Radio

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1380 WAOK - The Voice of the Community

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V103 Atlanta - The Peoples Station

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RollingOut

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New York Beacon- #Hotoffthepress

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RED (Rehabilitation Enables Dreams)

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Episode 3 – An Ode to Public Defenders

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Episode 2 – The New Civil Rights Movement: Criminal Justice Reform

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Law360

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Episode 1 - The Critical Role of Public Defenders in Transforming Justice

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We Stand Against Injustice Everywhere

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Gideon's Promise Launches Podcast

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WSB-TV

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Gideon’s Promise Announced as One of the Inspire Change Grant Recipients

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Gideon’s Promise Welcomes 12 New LSPP Fellows

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2020 COVID-19: Gideon’s Promise Stands with Public Defenders Advocating for the Incarcerated Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

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Circuit Public Defender Claudia Saari Honored

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NFL Legend Champ Bailey Honored

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The Washington Post

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Brennan Center for Justice

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Vox

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Daily Report

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Kamala D. Harris – U.S. Senator for California Introduces the Equal Defense Act of 2019

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Politico

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The Mercury News

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MSN.com

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Devdiscourse

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Gideon’s Promise to Host Igniting Change Fundraiser

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The Daily Report

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The Daily Report

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Closer Look with Rose Scott

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Gideon’s Promise to Host Training for Public Defenders at Morehouse College

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Atlanta Magazine

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The New York Times

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Closer Look with Rose Scott

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Atlanta Journal - Constitution

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Atlanta Journal - Constitution

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Southern Christian Leadership Conference National Magazine

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George Washington Law

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The Atlantic

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The Advocate

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Mother Jones

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Rolling Out

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Essence

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The Christian Science Monitor

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Atlanta Magazine

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The Nation

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The Nation

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Creative Loafing

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Talk Poverty

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Atlanta Trend

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Bill Moyer & Company

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National Public Radio (NPR) News

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Chronicle of Philanthropy

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Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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The Baltimore Sun

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The Wall Street Journal

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The Washington Post

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Huffington Post

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Take Part

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Daily Journal

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International Documentary Association

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The Kojo Nnamdi Show

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Inside Scoop with Mark Levine

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The New York Times

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The New York Times

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Daily Motion

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Our Secret Weapon: Community

What makes Gideon’s Promise unique is our collective community of public defenders. Having a strong and secure support network is at the core of what makes Gideon’s Promise so successful. When a public defender chooses to enter this line of work, they do so with passion and a genuine desire to help change the way our country’s legal system operates. The average caseload of a Gideon’s Promise public defender is 250 cases per year; however, the American Bar Association recommends 150 felony cases annually. A public defender’s role defending and protecting the most vulnerable communities throughout the country can become increasingly more difficult and exhausting as they progress in their career due to the lack of resources and manpower within their offices. That is where Gideon’s Promise steps in. Gideon’s Promise has a wide range of services and resources that engages its public defender community to lean on and utilize for support. We meet public defenders wherever they are in their career. Through our programs, public defenders get to restore their passion for fighting injustice in the communities they serve. They can find a network of like-minded individuals who understand the overwhelming nature of their work. Our programs offer a lifeline to public defenders – our country’s frontline workers in the fight against injustice.

Protecting The Promise

You don't have to be a public defender to protect the promise of zealous counsel for all. Your monthly contribution--no matter the amount--will directly impact the fate of a client accused of a crime, who didn't know they needed you.