Office of the Public Defender Overview
Fiscal Year 2022/23
Mission Statement
To provide quality, diligent and ethical representation of indigent defendants entitled to appointed counsel in Tucson City Court and to protect and defend the rights guaranteed us by the United States and Arizona Constitutions.
Programs
The following programs are included in this department:
Staffing By Program
*Full Time Equivalent Employee (FTE)
Budget By Program
Department Expenses
Budget By Expense Category
Budget By Funding Source
Significant Changes
The adopted budget for Fiscal Year 2022/23 of $3,626,890 reflects an increase of $357,630 from the Fiscal Year 2021/22 Adopted Budget. Major changes include the following:
• Increase in salaries and benefits budget expense by $361,530, and an insignificant decrease in services and supplies of $3,900.
Trends
The trend continues towards a holistic approach to Criminal Justice where we address the client’s needs on an individualized basis while addressing their criminal charges.
Accomplishments
Our continued support and involvement with our current Specialty Courts and the establishment of Community Court are paramount to our clients’ success.
We continue to work with local behavioral health agencies, Tucson’s Housing First, Community Safety, Health and Wellness team and partners at Pima County Government. These relationships help to better address our clients’ needs and open the doors for wraparound services.
Future Objectives
We will continue to focus on how to better serve our clientele by addressing more than their criminal charges. The use of a social worker to focus on wraparound services is essential to changing lives.
Additional focus is placed on preparing for future retirements, as we build a strong team for the future. Significant effort will be focused on the national shortage of criminal defense attorneys and recruitment of staff.