Pilot report presents findings and recommendations from new collection efforts

BJS has released Survey of Public Defenders (SPD) Pilot Report. It provides an overview of a new data collection effort that aims to capture information directly from public defenders about their demographics, working conditions, caseloads, interactions with clients, and access to resources. BJS designed a pilot test for the SPD to assess the viability of a dual-frame sampling plan, test response rates for office-level and public defender-level surveys, and test response rates correlated with different outreach strategies. This report describes the pilot sampling frames, sample design, and key findings, with recommendations for modifications for full survey implementation regarding the design, survey instrument, roster development, respondent recruitment, and survey administration.

Read the Report

Survey of Public Defenders (SPD) Pilot Report (NCJ 308967) was written by Bill Adams, MPP, Urban Institute; Jeanette Hussemann, PhD, NORC at the University of Chicago; Heather H. Hall and Jon Lyon, National Association for Public Defense; Andrew Davies, PhD, Consultant; Kevin M. Scott, PhD, BJS Acting Director; and Suzanne M. Strong, PhD, BJS Statistician. The report, related documents, and additional information about BJS’s statistical publications and programs are available on the BJS website at bjs.ojp.gov. 

The Bureau of Justice Statistics of the U.S. Department of Justice is the principal federal agency responsible for collecting, analyzing, and disseminating reliable statistics on crime and criminal justice in the United States. Kevin M. Scott, PhD, is the acting director.

For more information on BJS's publications, data collections, data analysis tools, and funding opportunities, visit bjs.ojp.gov.