Contact: Rabiah Burks, 202-452-0620 | [email protected]
SJC, NLADA & APA Launch Joint Racial Equity Program for Public Defenders & Prosecutor Offices
Cook County, East Baton Rouge Parish, Milwaukee County and Pennington County were selected as inaugural host sites.
Washington – The National Legal Aid & Defender Association and the Association of Prosecuting Attorneys launched the Collaborative Leadership for Racial Equity training program for public defender and prosecutor offices participating in the MacArthur Safety and Justice Challenge (SJC) to engage in advancing racial equity together.
“Public defenders help clients navigate through a legal system marred with systemic racism. It is essential that we empower and equip public defenders to advance racial equity and effectuate change within their offices, courtrooms, and jurisdiction,” said NLADA President & CEO April Frazier Camara.
This six-month program aims to equip defenders and prosecutors in the same jurisdictions with the tools needed to tackle both individual and institutional racism and advance their racial equity goals in their sites.
"The twin goals of the Safety and Justice Challenge are to safely reduce jail populations and eliminate racial and ethnic disparities. While prosecutors have worked with their local public safety partners to safely reduce unnecessary jail time for those accused of crimes, more work needs to be done to reduce disparities in jail populations. Addressing these disparities has pushed prosecutors to explore innovative changes to their practices and better leverage their partnerships with other justice system stakeholders and community members,” said Dave LaBahn, APA President and CEO.
“We are excited to work with these four national leaders who manage offices of various sizes, and represent diverse communities and perspectives. Each of these elected prosecutors have pledged to set racial equity as a priority for themselves individually as well as the offices they lead. By being selected to join the Collaborative Leadership for Racial Equity program, these participants will effectuate lasting changes in their offices and continue improving their communities."
The program will kick- off with a two-day in-person training in Washington, D.C., on June 23-24, followed by a six-month program. The four counties selected for the program are Cook County, East Baton Rouge Parish, Milwaukee County and Pennington County. They were chosen because they each demonstrated a desire to influence change within their Office and jurisdiction and expressed commitment to developing their leadership skills to transform their value and awareness of racial equity into action and implementation.
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The National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA), founded in 1911, is America’s oldest and largest nonprofit association devoted to excellence in the delivery of legal services to those who cannot afford counsel. NLADA has pioneered access to justice at the national, state and local levels, playing a leadership role in the creation of public defender systems and other important institutions from The Sentencing Project to the Legal Services Corporation. A leader in the development of national standards for civil legal aid and public defense, NLADA also provides advocacy, training and technical assistance for equal justice advocates across the country.