Indigent Defense Grant Program

The Budget Act of 2020 (Senate Bill 74)opens PDF file established the Indigent Defense Grant Program and appropriated $10,000,000 in funding. Per the Budget Act, $9,800,000 is available for grants to county Public Defenders and up to $200,000 may be allocated for an evaluation of the Indigent Defense Grant Program.

Funds awarded under the Indigent Defense Grant Program must be utilized to address the staffing, training, case management needs, or other attorney support of Public Defender Offices.

2021 Indigent Defense Grant

In February 2021 the BSCC released the Indigent Defense Grant Program Request for Applications (RFA)opens PDF file . Funds were allocated to public defenders in the 19 counties with populations of 550,000 or fewer residents. The grant service period runs February 15, 2021 through June 30, 2024.

# County Total Allocation *PDO / ADO Split
1 El Dorado $347,900
2 Humboldt $416,500 $323,400 to PDO
$93,100 to ADO
3 Imperial $347,900
4 Lassen $274,400
5 Marin $347,900
6 Mendocino $416,500 $323,400 to PDO
$93,100 to ADO
7 Merced $984,900
8 Monterey $637,000
9 Napa $323,400
10 Nevada $323,400
11 Santa Barbara $637,000
12 Shasta $347,900
13 Siskiyou $274,400
14 Solano $852,600 $637,000 to PDO
$215,600 to ADO
15 Sonoma $882,000
16 Stanislaus $1,127,000
17 Tulare $637,000
18 Tuolumne $274,400
19 Yolo $347,900

*PDO - Public Defender Office
ADO - Alternate Defender Office

 

Contact the BSCC about the Indigent Defense Grant

To provide public comment submit an email to: IndigentDefenseGrant@bscc.ca.govcreate new email.

Indigent Defense Grant Contacts