Peter Brown’s early encounter with the criminal justice system as a wrongfully accused defendant in Florida left a lasting impact, ultimately shaping his career path toward public defense. Now 28, Brown works as a client advocate with Partners for Justice, a nonprofit that places advocates in public defender offices to provide comprehensive support for indigent defendants.
Founded in 2018, Partners for Justice aims to alleviate the heavy caseloads and resource limitations facing public defenders nationwide by embedding client advocates who assist with nonlegal issues affecting defendants’ lives and cases. These advocates help clients navigate challenges such as housing instability, addiction treatment, employment barriers, and mental health services, allowing attorneys to focus more fully on legal defense.
Partners for Justice draws from the “holistic defense” model pioneered by the Bronx Defenders in the 1990s, which combines legal counsel with social services and specialized support to address the underlying factors contributing to criminal justice involvement. Unlike some holistic defense programs that rely on a broad team of specialists, Partners for Justice employs recent college graduates trained as generalists to work collaboratively with overburdened public defenders. The nonprofit currently partners with 44 public defender agencies across 23 states.
In Delaware County, Pennsylvania, where Brown is based, advocates handle up to 40 cases at a time, supporting public defenders managing around 8,000 criminal cases annually. Since advocates joined the team in 2022, court-ordered program completion rates have increased from 50% to 80%, enabling more defendants to complete diversion programs that avoid incarceration. An independent analysis by the University of Pennsylvania found that the presence of advocates correlated with a nearly 50% increase in cases dismissed or diverted.
Brown recounts his work with a Marine Corps veteran named Matthew, who faced potential prison time due to burglary and probation violations compounded by addiction and trauma. Brown helped compile a mitigation report emphasizing Matthew’s military service and efforts to rebuild his life, resulting in a judge granting release to inpatient treatment instead of incarceration. “It gave me someone to speak what I couldn’t speak,” Matthew said of the experience.
Similar successes have been reported in New Jersey, where public defender Jennifer Sellitti noted that referrals to social services increased fivefold following pilot programs with Partners for Justice. The state is considering expanding the initiative statewide. Across the country, the nonprofit reports having worked with more than 34,000 individuals, contributing to reduced jail time and better support for clients.
Despite positive outcomes, funding for such programs remains precarious. Partners for Justice primarily depends on state and local government budgets, which face pressure amid competing priorities and federal cuts to social service spending. In Multnomah County, Oregon, public defenders fought against proposed eliminations of all six advocate positions, arguing that the cost savings from reduced incarceration justified maintaining the program. Although the county reduced funding, it stopped short of complete elimination and provided a partial restoration this year.
Critics of the model argue that relying on short-term advocates—often recent graduates serving two-year terms—may undermine continuity and call for investment in permanent, in-house holistic defense staff. Partners for Justice’s founders acknowledge these concerns, emphasizing their work as a stepping stone toward demonstrating the value of holistic defense to encourage lasting local government commitments. “In an ideal world, they don’t need us anymore,” said co-founder Emily Galvin-Almanza.
The gradual expansion of client advocate programs signals a shift toward more integrated public defense strategies, but sustainable funding and broad adoption remain ongoing challenges amid a shifting criminal justice landscape.