In an effort to ensure that poor defendants receive the effective assistance of
counsel, many states have adopted indigent defense standards for public defender offices.
The present study focuses on Indiana public defender offices that participate in the
Indiana Public Defender Commission’s (IPDC) standards and reimbursement program.
This study assesses the extent to which resource needs and workload demands influence
participation in the IPDC reimbursement program. Analysis of public defender data from
counties across the state shows that counties that opt into the state’s reimbursement
program have, in general, greater resource needs than those counties that do not pursue
state reimbursement. In addition to the comparison of counties that participate in the
state’s reimbursement program with those that do not, this study also takes a closer look
at the attorneys who serve as public defenders in participating counties, assessing the
effect that standards seem to have on attorney qualifications, compensation, and
workload. This research points the way for future avenues of research that might further
evaluate the differences between counties that participate in the IPDC standards and
reimbursement program and those that do not. / The right to counsel for indigent defendants -- Indigent defense in the United States -- Public defender offices in Indiana -- Theory and hypothesis -- Data sources and methodology -- Results -- Analysis -- Commentary. / Department of Political Science
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BSU/oai:cardinalscholar.bsu.edu:123456789/194910 |
| Date | 06 August 2011 |
| Creators | Beasley, Caleb J. |
| Contributors | Rouse, John E. (John Edward), 1942- |
| Source Sets | Ball State University |
| Detected Language | English |
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