|
Court Advocacy Services |
|
|
Court Advocacy Services (formerly Assigned Counsel Services). Many of the hundreds of thousands of people prosecuted every year in New York City's criminal courts cannot afford the advocacy services that more affluent individuals use to help judges and prosecutors make detention and sentencing decisions appropriate to both the crime and the offender. Since 1985, Osborne has served felony defendants, including juvenile offenders, who are represented either through the Assigned Counsel Plan ("18-B") attorneys in New York City, or other attorneys. Staff conduct pre-plea and pre-sentence investigations of defendants' backgrounds to ascertain mitigating circumstances, and advocate client-specific sentencing alternatives--including treatment or other community-based sanctions--in appropriate cases. We target only cases in which the defendant would otherwise be detained pretrial or sentenced to a term of incarceration of six months or more. Court Advocacy Services makes referrals and facilitates intake to hundreds of community-based programs that provide mental health, HIV/AIDS, and substance abuse treatment services, as well as to educational and vocational placements. We also escort clients from court or City jails to approved treatment programs. The progress of clients released from pre-trial detention or sentenced to an alternative to incarceration is carefully monitored, with interventions made as necessary to help clients succeed in the community. Regular updates on client progress are also provided to the court and counsel. In addition, Court Advocacy Services provides technical assistance to defense attorneys, including identifying experts (medical, psychological, etc.) and making other service referrals. Some of our Court Advovacy Services staff specialize in working with young people, to serve the needs of youth aged 16 to 19 who have long been considered "adults" under state law, as well as the growing number of children under the age of 16 who have been prosecuted in the adult criminal justice system since the mid-1990s. Court Advocacy Services assistance is free to appointed counsel in assigned cases, and to other attorneys, and their clients. To refer a criminal defendant, attorneys can contact us at:
Court
Advocacy Services
|
