Dossier
The Criminal Justice Program at Harvard Law School
Coverage of The Criminal Justice Program at Harvard Law School in the Nexus archive.
- IG report ignored the critical role of over-prosecution in straining the indigent defense system
An Inspector General (IG) report on Massachusetts' indigent defense system blamed agencies like the Committee for Public Counsel Services (CPCS) and courts for systemic failures but omitted the role of over-prosecution and over-criminalization in straining the system. The report highlighted issues like inadequate lawyer staffing and payment rates but failed to address how aggressive prosecutions increase case loads for underpaid court-appointed attorneys.