Court Services and Decarceration

When people go to prison or jail, it disrupts their housing, employment, schooling, and ability to meet family obligations. This costs families and communities dearly, not only during the time they are in prison or jail, but afterward, when people often must rebuild their lives from nothing, while shouldering the new disadvantages that come with a history of incarceration.

Osborne’s defense-based advocacy and mitigation services humanize our largely indigent participants so they are seen beyond their charges when they come before the court. Our team provides thorough background investigations and detailed reports that contribute to a more compassionate representation. We connect people to community-based programs and treatment that allow them to take responsibility for their actions without the additional harms of incarceration, and monitor their progress with court approval.

Our decarceration programs aim to give people the tools to address challenges in their lives—such as the long-term effects of trauma, violence, substance use, or educational or employment deficits. This opens the door to lasting change. It is part of our contribution to building a system that rejects mass-scale, long-term incarceration and instead works to achieve equity, healing, and transformation.