In January 2020, the County of Santa Clara Public Defender’s Office launched a pilot of a new program, Pre-Arraignment Representation and Review (PARR), to provide faster access to legal representation for low-income people who would otherwise have to wait until their arraignment to meet with a public defender.
PARR pilot participants had dramatically better outcomes (as measured by decreased time spent in jail, a decrease in the probability of conviction, and an increased likelihood of a case being dismissed) than similarly situated people who did not have the opportunity to participate.
During this webinar on June 13, 2023, panelists shared specifics on these research results which are included in a new NBER working paper and a companion policy brief. Panelists explained the motivation for creating the program, how the pilot was administered, how the PARR program is currently operating, and why these results matter within the broader context of reforms to the criminal legal system.
Speakers
Dr. Johanna Lacoe
Research Director · California Policy Lab
Johanna has partnered with the public defender’s office since 2019 to demonstrate the impact of the PARR Program. Johanna also leads other research focused on reforming the criminal justice system, including research on the statewide implementation of the Humphrey decision, multiple reports to support the work of the California Committee on Revision of the Penal Code, as well as research focused on high utilization of criminal legal, health, and housing services in San Francisco.
Charles Hendrickson
Deputy Public Defender · County of Santa Clara Public Defender’s Office
Charlie Hendrickson is an attorney with the Santa Clara County Office of the Public Defender and was responsible for initiating its early representation team (PARR.) He remains active in the development of the PARR program.
Carlie Ware Horne
Clinical Supervising Attorney at the Criminal Defense Clinic, at Stanford Law School
Carlie helped to design, launch, and oversee the PARR program while at the Santa Clara County Office of the Public Defender. She served as a public defender for 14 years and currently serves as the where she is also a lecturer.
Meghan Piano
Deputy Public Defender · County of Santa Clara Public Defender’s Office
Meghan Piano is the current supervising attorney of the PARR team and has been a public defender in Santa Clara County for 15 years.