Every day, thousands of people are arrested across the country. For these people, even a short stay in jail can have profound consequences for their physical, economic, and mental health, on their families and communities, and on the outcomes of their cases. Therefore, how quickly a person appears before a judge and has access to lawyer is very important.
The Deason Criminal Justice Reform Center’s new Day One Campaign, supported by Arnold Ventures (AV), will focus on what can be done to ensure that these early steps in the criminal legal process occur promptly and that the system becomes more effective and just.
“Ensuring timely access to counsel and prompt case processing is a critical step to creating a well-functioning court system,” says Julia Durnan, criminal justice policy manager at AV. “However, most states around the country do not provide counsel for a person’s initial appearance before a judge. We are excited to support the Deason Center’s efforts to address this deficiency and improve policies and practices in the earliest stages of the criminal justice process.”
We spoke with Malia Brink, Policy Director at the Deason Center, about the Day One Campaign and why it is necessary.
The Day One Campaign
Timely access to a lawyer and quick case processing is important to the health and wellbeing of individuals, families, communities. However, in many places people who arrested have the opposite experience. Learn more about how the Deason Center’s Day One Campaign aims to address these issues in this video.
