NAPD Public Resources

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.

The SPD Pilot was conducted in conjunction with members of the NAPD team, alongside Urban Institute, NORC at University of Chicago, and consultant Andrew Davies, PhD, of the Deason Center.