Atlanta, GA – May 18, 2021 – We are excited that the Biden Administration recognizes the important role the federal government must play in ensuring that our nation’s highest ideals are realized and that the Constitution’s mandates are enforced. Through its announcement today that the President is signing a memorandum to expand access to legal representation and the courts, the Administration is acting on its commitment to expand access to quality legal representation in America’s courts. We are especially pleased at the Administration’s commitment to make the desperately needed improvements to the country’s public defender systems.
The nation is bearing witness to the disparate impact the COVID-19 pandemic has on economically disadvantaged communities. We have also watched as communities of color have suffered the brunt of abusive policing practices. However, unfortunately, the daily injustices visited upon marginalized communities in courtrooms across America largely remain invisible. Too often, people charged with crimes do not have access to skilled and adequately compensated lawyers to ensure that their rights are protected and their dignity is respected.
In criminal cases, too many people without means have no access to counsel at all, and many others are forced to rely on lawyers who are overwhelmed and under-resourced. These injustices so often happen at the state and local level. However, the crisis is a national one.
We are grateful to the Biden Administration for taking steps to mobilize the resources and influence of the federal government to address one of the nation’s most pressing civil rights imperatives – ensuring equal access and justice for all.
For More Information Contact:
Company: Gideon’s Promise
Name: Erin Howlette, Marketing Director
Phone: 404-525-4505 x 111
Email: [email protected]
About Gideon’s Promise
Gideon’s Promise is a 501(c)(3) public defender organization whose mission is to transform the criminal justice system by building a movement of public defenders who provide equal justice for marginalized communities. Founded in 2007 by Jonathan Rapping, the organization has grown from a single training program for sixteen attorneys in two public defender offices in Georgia and Louisiana to a national enterprise with 1,000 participants in 45 public defender offices across 27 states and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The organization’s initial three-year program for new public defenders has expanded into a comprehensive program model that supports public defenders at all levels of their career.
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