Public Defense Pilot Program

Amendments to the Budget Act of 2021 (Senate Bill 129) allocates $50,000,000 to the BSCC to administer the Public Defense Pilot Program (PDPP). From the $50,000,000 allocation, $49,500,000 shall be provided to counties for indigent defense based on each county’s share of the total adult population in the state. Eligible recipients of the funds include public defenders, alternate defenders, and other qualifying entities “that provide indigent defense in criminal matters for the purposes of workload associated with the provisions in paragraph (1) of subdivision (d) of Section 1170 of, and Sections 1170.95, 1473.7, and 3051 of, the Penal Code.” The BSCC also was provided $500,000 to cover administrative costs and to contract with a university or research institution to complete an independent evaluation of the pilot program.

The BSCC calculated the amount of funding each county is eligible to receive by dividing the $49.5 million by the county's share of the total adult population using the 2021 projected population figures from the Department of Finance. The amount of funding for which counties are eligible ranged from $1,527.64 to $12,720,245.54.

PDPP Funding Allocation by Countyopens PDF file

 

PDPP Cohort I Grants - March 1, 2022 to March 1, 2025

The Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) made $49.5 million available to California’s 58 Counties to provide services in alignment with the State Budget Act of 2021 (Senate Bill 129). A list of the funded proposals and brief project summaries are provided below:

Cohort I PDPP Project Summariesopens WORD file

In October 2021, the BSCC released the PDPP Request for Applications. From October 4, 2021 to January 14, 2022, California counties were invited to apply for funding. For reference, review the Application Instruction Packet and Application Packet.

 

PDPP Cohort II Grants - March 1, 2023 to March 1, 2025

The PDPP was designed as a three-year program funded with annual appropriations from the State Budget Act. Applicants that did not apply for funding in year one, may apply in year two and/or three.

The two-year PDPP service period covers March 1, 2023 - January 1, 2025. However, an additional two months (January 2, 2025 - March 1, 2025) is included in the term of the agreement for the sole purpose of submitting final progress reports and any data required for the statewide evaluation.

In October 2022, the BSCC released the Request for Applications for the Cohort II Public Defense Pilot Program. California counties were invited to apply for funding. For reference, review the Application Instruction Packet and Application Packet.

 

Contact the BSCC regarding the Public Defense Pilot Program

If you have questions about this program email:

This website will be updated as new information becomes available. You may also subscribe to the BSCC email list for updates about BSCC’s grant projects and funding opportunities. Sign up for BSCC email updates.