The Shelby County Public Defender's Office in Memphis, Tennessee was established in 1917 and is the 4th oldest public defender office in the nation. It currently has 74 attorneys who handle over 34,000 cases per year. The office provides legal representation for indigent defendants through various divisions and programs, including capital defense, mental health intervention programs, drug courts, and community outreach events. The Public Defender aims to administer justice fairly and help rehabilitate defendants.

1. Law Offices of the Shelby County Public Defender
Established 1917

2. HISTORY OF THE PUBLIC
DEFENDER SYSTEM

3. Clarence Earl Gideon

4. Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963)
“any person haled into court, who is too poor to hire a
lawyer, cannot be assured a fair trial unless counsel is
provided for him.”

5. Indigent Defense Funding

6. The Justice Gap

7. • 34,000 cases in FY2010 at Shelby County PD’s Office
• 74 staff attorneys
• An average day; an average year
The Justice Gap

8. • The promise of Gideon – “lawyers in criminal courts are
necessities, not luxuries.”
• An estimated 80-90 percent of those charged with
criminal offenses qualify for indigent defense.
• 73% of county-based public defender systems DO NOT
have enough attorneys to meet national guidelines.
• Median starting salary for attorney in county-based PD
office is $42,000 – $45,000.
The Justice Gap

9. • 74 lawyers; 10 investigators; 15 administrative professionals
• 34,000 cases in FY2010
• Serving in 18 divisions of court at the Criminal Justice Center at 201
Poplar and 8 outlying municipal courts and appellate courts
• Capital Defense Team – Gerald Skahan leads a team of death penalty
certified attorneys and investigators.
• Special Litigation Team – Leads the Jericho Project, a nationally
recognized intervention and re-entry program serving those with
serious mental illness and co-occurring substance abuse issues.
• Know The Law! – a partnership with the Memphis City Schools’
Driver Education Program
• Project Homeless Connect – a one-day resource fair for homeless
individuals serving nearly 1000 people in its first year
Shelby County Public Defender’s Office

10. • Established in 1917
• 4th oldest PD office in the nation
• Memphis Mayor AC Wharton – former chief PD
• Shelby County Mayor Mark Luttrell – former sheriff with
corrections background familiar with impact of indigent
defense system on jail population
• Current Chief Public Defender, Stephen Bush, was appointed
in September of 2010 after 18 years in the office.
• Stephen Bush was instrumental in creating the Jericho Project,
which helps control jail population and reduces costs of caring
for the mentally ill.
• Justice For a New Generation
Shelby County Public Defender’s Office

11. • Inmates with serious mental illness tend to stay in jail two to five
times longer than those without mental illness.
• Jericho assists defendants with serious mental illness by linking them
with community-based mental health treatment.
• 74% of those with serious mental illness also have substance abuse
problems.
• Linkage to community mental health treatment takes place over 120
days with Recovery Support Specialist assisting client in accessing
all eligible community services.
• Participants spend 99 fewer days in jail per year.
• Over half of participants are never re-arrested.
Jericho Project

12. • Opened in 1997; 12-month program for non-violent defendants
with drug-related charges
• One of 12 state-certified treatment courts in Tennessee
• Named a “Mentor Court” by Nat’l Drug Court Association
• Public Defender team participates in referral and treatment
decisions
• 37% recidivism rate vs. 80% for non-drug court participants
• Over 1500 graduates
Shelby County Drug Court

13. • One-day event targeting the city’s homeless population; key
part of Mayors’ 10-year Plan to End Homelessness
• 963 Homeless Individuals
• 1090 Volunteers
• 271 Housing Applications
• 297 Dental Screenings; 22-24 Procedures Completed
• 145 Haircuts
• 340 City of Memphis ID Cards Issued
• 97 Legal Consultations
Project Homeless Connect

14. BACK INTO THE COMMUNITY
What do rehabilitation and redemption
really look like?

15. Safety'Net'Services'&'Community'Resources'
Employment Assistance & Opportunities Homeless & Crisis Services
Tennessee Career Center. Services include job search assistance, job skills training, career The Hospitality HUB. Serving the immediate needs of homeless individuals and making referrals
development workshops and counseling. 444 N. Main St. (MATA Terminal); Memphis, TN 38105 elsewhere for longer-term solutions. General services and intake: M, W, F; 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 146
(and additional locations). 545-2240. www.memphiscareercenter.com Jefferson Ave.; Memphis, TN 38103. 522-1808. www.hospitalityhub.org
Memphis Urban League. Assistance and training for skilled job-seekers. 413 N. Cleveland; Memphis Union Mission. Men’s emergency shelter meeting immediate needs of food, clothing,
Memphis, TN 38104. 272-2491. www.memphisul.org shelter. First 4 nights free, then $6/night (free if temperature is freezing or below). Dinner for
overnight guests; lunch free to all at 10:45 a.m. daily. 383 Poplar Ave.; Memphis, TN 38103. 522-
The Arc Mid-South. Career development services for people with disabilities. 3485 Poplar Ave., 8819. www.memphisunionmission.org
Ste. 210; Memphis, TN 38111. 327-2473. www.thearcmidsouth.org
Memphis/Shelby County Emergency Housing Partnership. Call for immediate help securing
HopeWorks, Inc. Four-month Personal and Career Development curriculum for people housing and benefits if you and your children are either currently homeless or are facing imminent
overcoming lives of crime, poverty, and/or addiction. 1930 Union Ave.; Memphis, TN 38104. 272- homelessness: 260-HOME. (Only those with children are eligible.)
3700. Application available at www.whyhopeworks.org.
MIFA. Assistance with rent, utilities, food, clothing, and other necessities for families suffering an
Lowenstein House. Counseling, skills training, job placement, and housing assistance for unexpected loss of income. 910 Vance Avenue, Memphis, TN 38126. 527-0208.
individuals diagnosed with mental illness. 821 S. Barksdale St.; Memphis, TN 38114. 274-5486. www.mifa.org/housing
www.orgsites.com/tn/lowensteinhouse
YWCA Abused Women’s Services. Emergency shelter for women with or without children who
Express Employment Prof’ls. Temporary employment, including industrial jobs. 6100 Primacy are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless due to domestic violence. (Address unlisted.) 725-
Pkwy., Ste. 111; Memphis, TN 38119. 680-1933. sememphistn.expresspros.com 4277. www.memphisywca.org
LSI Staffing. Temporary employment, including industrial jobs. 134 Monroe Ave.; Memphis, TN Citizen’s Dispute. Orders of Protection. 201 Poplar Ave., Lower Level, Room LL-01; Memphis, TN
38103. 526-1111. 5 a.m. to 6 p.m. M-F, 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. Sat. www.lsitemps.com 38103. 545-2520.
Paramount Staffing. Industrial employment opportunities. 5888 Distribution Dr.; Memphis, TN Youth Villages Specialized Crisis Services. Call for help when a child experiences severe
38141. 367-8888. Apply in person 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., M-W. www.paramountstaffing.com depression, exhibits destructive/bizarre behavior, or is otherwise out of control: 1-866-791-9226.
HOTLINES: Abused Women’s Services 725-4277…HIV/AIDS 544-7575…Child Abuse/Neglect 274-7477…Mobile Crisis Team (Mental Illness) 577-9400
Health Care & Mental Health Services Substance Abuse Recovery Services
MedCall. Speak with a nurse about your symptoms. Call day or night: 579-4797. Justice Center After Care Support Groups. 12-step programs for AA, CA and NA with evening
nd
meetings at 201 Poplar, 2 Floor. Contact Ms. Maurise at 278-1007 for details.
MedPlex Clinic. Medical care for un- and under-insured citizens of Shelby County. 880 Madison
Ave.; Memphis, TN 38103. 545-7185. www.uthsc.edu/gim/medplex/clinic-info.html Alcoholics Anonymous. 12-step program for help living with alcohol addiction. 1835 Union Ave.,
Ste. 302; Memphis, TN 38104. 726-6750. www.memphis-aa.org
Christ Community Health Services. Services include adult and pediatric primary care,
obstetrics/gynecology, HIV management, prenatal & parenting classes, social work, dentistry. Narcotics Anonymous. 12-step program for help living w/ addiction. 276-5483. www.na-wt.org
Multiple locations. Appointment line: 271-6000. www.christcommunityhealth.org
Alcohol & Chemical Abuse Rehab Center (ACAR). Outpatient treatment, counseling, and
Church Health Center. Services include acute care, primary and specialty care, dentistry, eye intervention; anger management classes, alcohol safety school, drug offender school. 633
care, and counseling. Patients pay on a sliding scale. 1210 Peabody Ave.; Memphis, TN 38104. Monroe Ave.; Memphis, TN 38103. 527-3100. http://bellsouthpwp.net/a/c/acarctr
272-7170. www.churchhealthcenter.org
Cocaine & Alcohol Awareness Program, Inc. (CAAP). Extended residential drug and alcohol
Memphis Health Center. Services include family practice, obstetrics & gynecology, podiatry, treatment at various locations, primarily for homeless individuals, including those with co-occurring
ophthalmology, pediatrics. 360 E. E.H. Crump Blvd.; Memphis, TN 38126. 261-2000. mental health disorders. 360-0442. www.caapincorporated.com
Comprehensive Counseling Network (CCN). Mental health counseling and case management Synergy Treatment Centers. One-year residential program for individuals with an alcohol or
services for children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. 2150 Whitney Ave.; Memphis, TN 38127. drug and/or co-occurring problem; participants are employed in exchange for their treatment.
353-5440. www.ccnmemphis.org 2305 Airport Interchange; Memphis, TN 38132. 332-2227. www.synergytc.org
Case Management Inc. Comprehensive community mental health center. 4041 Knight Arnold, Grace House. Women’s long-term residential alcohol and drug treatment center, with extended-
38118; 1087 Alice, 38106; 14 N. Bellevue, 38104. 821-5600. care programs. Pregnant women and IV drug users with co-occurring disorders are given priority.
329 N. Bellevue; Memphis, TN 38105. 722-8460. www.gracehousememphis.org
Southeast Mental Health Center. Services include individual and group counseling, treatment of
co-occurring mental and substance abuse disorders, substance abuse counseling, HIV/AIDS Harbor House. Men’s residential center with individualized treatment programs. Continuing care
education. 3628 Summer, 38122, 452-6941; 2578 Douglas, 38106, 369-1480; 3810 Winchester, is provided for all clients who complete their treatment programs. 1979 Alcy Rd.; Memphis, TN
38118, 369-1400 38114. 743-1836. www.harborhousememphis.org
Safety Net Services &
Community Resources

16. • 30% of Americans have been arrested by age 23
• ABA identified 38,000 punitive provisions applying to those
convicted of crimes; over 700 in Tennessee
• Two-thirds of states allow hiring or licensing decisions to made on
basis of arrest alone; no conviction is necessary
• Unemployment rates for those coming out of prison are as high as
60% one year after release
• Between 15% to 27% of prisoners expect to go to homeless shelters
upon release
• Many states require full payment of court costs, restitution, jail fees
and other costs before voting rights are restored.
• Many states suspend driving privileges for missed debt payments.
• Criminal justice debt damage credit and compete with other financial
obligations like child support payments.
Collateral Consequences

17. • Four-fifths (4/5) of low-income people DO NOT have
access to a lawyer when they need one.
• Requests for services at Memphis Area Legal Services
have tripled to 21,000 per year since 2007.
• Legal services appropriations: $404 million in 2011.
That’s down one-third from 15 years ago. Proposed 2012
amount: $300 million.
• 1 legal aid lawyer for every 6,415 low-income persons
• 1 lawyer for every 429 people in general population
The Justice Gap

18. January 4, 2012

19. The Shelby County Public Defender’s Office
Established 1917
@defendshelbyco
josh.spickler@shelbycountytn.gov
Josh Spickler
901.216.2024 m / 901.222.2845 o