Public Defender budget

A supervisor public defender described how holistic defense broke a client's 27-year incarceration cycle and urged preservation of funding.

A former client, now nearly seven years clean and working in the field, credited the Clean Slate program with expunging her record and urged keeping it.

The misdemeanor supervisor and longest-tenured county public defender urged the Board to trust the holistic defense vision and maintain funding.

A Smart Justice California advisory board member urged keeping holistic defense intact and supported the alternate public defender approach.

CASA juvenile justice director urged preserving both public defender and alternate public defender funding for marginalized youth.

A retired assistant county counsel called dismantling the holistic defense model 'penny-wise and pound foolish' and urged support for Heather Rogers' proposal.

A resident in recovery asked the Board to keep the Clean Slate program so people turning their lives around can succeed.

A young resident in recovery urged keeping the Clean Slate program and praised her Page firm attorney Lauren Cox.

NAMI Santa Cruz board president supported the APDO alternative, citing mental health diversion gains (12 to 454 diversions) at risk.

A long-time resident in recovery urged the Board to preserve holistic defense services that help people turn their lives around.

A social worker in the holistic defense unit described connecting a repeat client to residential treatment that ended her cycle of cases.