Program Information The criminal legal system is complex system which can be both confusing and overwhelming to individuals who have been accused of a crime. Traditionally, the criminal legal system seeks justice by punishing an individual who has been convicted of a crime, but so often, that punishment does not take into consideration underlying factors which may have influenced a person’s decisions or behaviors (poverty, substance use, mental health, etc.). Nor does that punishment often help address these underlying factors.
For this reason, the Yolo County Public Defender’s Office practices holistic defense. This is a model of criminal defense involves not just defending against criminal allegations, but also understanding a client’s complex social needs in order to advocate for means to address any needs which are unmet or advocate for the least amount of collateral consequences. To help aide attorneys in holistic defense, the Yolo County Public Defender’s Office utilizes a multi-disciplinary team to help clients. Aside from attorneys and investigators, the office also has a Mitigation Unit, which is comprised of Mitigation Specialists, Case Managers, and Advocates. In collaboration with attorneys and other county partners, members of the Mitigation Unit assist clients with the issues that originally led to their involvement in the criminal justice system as well as to address the effects of collateral consequences.
Social work interns who are imbedded into the Mitigation Unit will have the opportunity to work alongside their social-services teammates, as well as attorneys and other members of the legal defense team. Social work interns will provide support, encouragement, and guidance to clients as they navigate complex systems and processes that are associated with involvement in the criminal legal system (such as navigating the DMV for someone who was arrested for DUI. Social work interns will learn about how to mitigate collateral consequences of the criminal legal system, as well as how to gather mitigating information to help with pending criminal charges.