Our Structure
The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office provides legal representation to over 25,000 indigent people charged with crimes each year.
To achieve success at its principal functions, the Office is arranged into specialty units, including a Felony Unit, a Misdemeanor Unit, a Mental Health Unit, and a Specialty Court Unit. Additionally, the Juvenile Division, with its staff of social workers and advocates, provides wrap around support to youthful clients to help them avoid entering the adult criminal justice system.
The San Francisco Public Defender’s Office also champions programs to help people turn their lives around. Programs such as Drug Court and Behavioral Health Court provide clients with a means to seek treatment in lieu of prison time. The Clean Slate Program helps rehabilitated felony offenders clear their records of criminal convictions so they can find work and become productive citizens. The Children of Incarcerated Parents Program helps children obtain family services, counseling and family jail visits to lessen the hardship of a parent’s incarceration.