兰德-加州公共防御试点项目评估（英）

STEPHANIE BROOKS HOLLIDAY, NICHOLAS M. PACE, MALLIKA BHANDARKAR, LUCY SHEARER, NASTASSIA REED, LAURA WHITAKEREvaluation of the California Public Defense Pilot ProgramResearch ReportFor more information on this publication, visit www.rand.org/t/RRA3984-1.About RANDRAND is a research organization that develops solutions to public policy challenges to help make communities throughout the world safer and more secure, healthier and more prosperous. RAND is nonprofit, nonpartisan, and committed to the public interest. To learn more about RAND, visit www.rand.org.Research IntegrityOur mission to help improve policy and decisionmaking through research and analysis is enabled through our core values of quality and objectivity and our unwavering commitment to the highest level of integrity and ethical behavior. To help ensure our research and analysis are rigorous, objective, and nonpartisan, we subject our research publications to a robust and exacting quality-assurance process; avoid both the appearance and reality of financial and other conflicts of interest through staff training, project screening, and a policy of mandatory disclosure; and pursue transparency in our research engagements through our commitment to the open publication of our research findings and recommendations, disclosure of the source of funding of published research, and policies to ensure intellectual independence. For more information, visit www.rand.org/about/research-integrity.RAND’s publications do not necessarily reflect the opinions of its research clients and sponsors.Published by the RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, Calif.© 2025 RAND Corporation is a registered trademark.Limited Print and Electronic Distribution RightsThis publication and trademark(s) contained herein are protected by law. This representation of RAND intellectual property is provided for noncommercial use only. Unauthorized posting of this publication online is prohibited; linking directly to its webpage on rand.org is encouraged. Permission is required from RAND to reproduce, or reuse in another form, any of its research products for commercial purposes. For information on reprint and reuse permissions, visit www.rand.org/about/publishing/permissions.RR-A3984-1iiiAbout This ReportThis report presents findings from a statewide evaluation of the Public Defense Pilot Program, a grant pro-gram that made funding available to all counties in California to support local public defense offices (entities that provide attorneys to represent those accused of criminal offenses) in the performance of postconviction work related to several specific sections of the California Penal Code. This report details how these offices were using grant funds, how many clients were being served, and whether grantees were making progress toward the goals they established when they applied for funds. We also explore the broader lessons learned about this grant program, including challenges to using the funds, facilitators to using the