Expanding the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender’s (NJ OPD) holistic defense program to all 21 counties, and writing it into law, would make communities safer and save taxpayers at least $12.7 million a year, according to a new analysis by New Jersey Policy Perspective (NJPP).
The blog post, “Holistic Public Defense Would Make New Jersey Safer and Save Millions,” by Senior Policy Analyst Marleina Ubel, looks at results from NJ OPD pilots and similar programs in other states. Holistic defense pairs public defender attorneys with licensed social workers, peer system navigators, and community-based service providers to address the problems that pull people into the legal system: housing instability, untreated mental health conditions, substance use disorders, and economic hardship.
Because NJ OPD represents about 90 percent of defendants in the state, public defenders are in position to connect people with services early in a case.
“Public defenders meet people at one of the hardest moments of their lives. Holistic defense lets them do more than handle the court case. It connects people to housing, treatment, and jobs, which helps keep them out of jail and keeps families together,” said Marleina Ubel, senior policy analyst at NJPP. “New Jersey has already tested this model, and it works. It can also help narrow the racial gaps in who sits in jail before trial. Lawmakers should fund it in every county.”
In 2024, Black New Jerseyans made up 56 percent of people in pretrial detention but only 15 percent of the state’s population. In Philadelphia, adding bail advocates to public defense teams reduced racial disparities in pretrial detention.
Findings from NJ OPD’s pilot programs in Atlantic, Monmouth, and Hudson counties show a 442 percent increase in connections to social services, and 80 percent of clients who needed work were connected to workforce or job-training programs. In a random sample of 90 cases, NJ OPD estimates the program avoided $1.4 million in incarceration costs.
The Office of Legislative Services estimates statewide expansion would cost $9.8 million in the first year. NJ OPD estimates it would avoid $22.5 million a year in incarceration costs by preventing unnecessary jail and prison time before and after trial. That would leave the state at least $12.7 million ahead each year.
“New Jersey Holistic Representation Model” (A4897/S4298) is sponsored by Assemblymen Gary S. Schaer and Kenyatta Stewart, Assemblywoman Ellen J. Park, and Senators Benjie E. Wimberly and Vin Gopal. The Senate bill was referred to the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on Oct. 15.
“Our justice system has long recognized the value of wraparound services for individuals reentering society after incarceration, but too often, we fail to provide that same level of support to those awaiting trial. These crucial services, that will be provided by Client Services Specialists, will dramatically decrease recidivism for low-income individuals and alleviate the financial burden on taxpayers,” said Assemblyman Schaer (D-Bergen, Passaic). “The Office of the Public Defender represents some of the most vulnerable people in our state; individuals battling addiction, mental health challenges, housing instability, and unemployment. My bill … builds on the important work already being done by the Office of the Public Defender, by establishing a statewide holistic defense model that will ensure people are connected to critical legal and social supports at the front end of the system, not after the damage is already done.”
Read the full blog post at njpp.org.
###
