NIJ FY 12 Social Science Research on Indigent Defense

NIJ seeks proposals for funding to examine indigent criminal defense services, policies, and practices. This includes services provided by any of the following: State-funded, county-funded, city-funded, or tribal public defender's offices; contract indigent defense lawyers; court-appointed counsel for indigent defendants; and/or, pro bono services provided by criminal defense attorneys. These services can be at the pretrial, trial, post-conviction, and/or appellate stages and involve either juvenile and/or adult defendants. Applicants are encouraged to consider research involving either (1) access to counsel and waiver of counsel by juveniles and/or adults, or (2) the effectiveness of other defense team members in indigent defense cases. However, other strong research proposals will be considered as well.