Survey of Public Defenders (SPD) Pilot Report

• NCJ Number: 308967
• Author(s): Bill Adams, MPP, Urban Institute; Jeanette Hussemann, PhD, NORC at the University of Chicago; Heather H. Hall, National Association for Public Defense; Jonathan Lyon, National Association for Public Defense; KP Friess, National Association for Public Defense; Andrew Davies, PhD, Consultant; Kevin M. Scott, PhD, BJS Acting Director; Suzanne M. Strong, PhD, BJS Statistician
• Date Published: October 2024
• Publication Series: Public Defenders
• Publication Type: Publication

Description

The Survey of Public Defenders (SPD) is a new data collection effort by the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) that aims to capture information directly from public defenders about their demographics, working conditions, caseloads, interactions with clients, and access to resources. BJS designed a pilot test for the SPD to assess the viability of a dual-frame sampling plan, test response rates for the office-level and public defender-level surveys, and test response rates correlated with outreach strategies. The report describes the pilot sampling frames and sample design and provides key findings. Recommendations in the report focus on sampling design, survey instrument modifications, roster development, respondent recruitment, and survey administration.