Indigent Defense Advisory Committee
The Indigent Defense Advisory Committee (IDAC) was established by Act 34 of 2023 to support the development of standards for indigent defense services in Pennsylvania, as well as advise PCCD on funding to supplement services consistent with these standards. Prior to the passage of Act 34, Pennsylvania was one of only two states that provided neither state funding nor state-level supervision for indigent defense.
Specifically, under Act 34, IDAC is responsible for:
- Proposing minimum standards for delivery of indigent defense services, including standards for attorneys providing these services, and submitting these standards to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court;
- Establishing a virtual defender training library, with programs developed and/or approved by the Committee;
- Adopting standards by which counties will report confidential data to the Committee, including information about public defender caseloads and expenditures;
- Adopting standards for the use of case management systems or software;
- Preparing a biennial report that details actions of the committee, details of awards granted, statistics summarizing the delivery of services, and recommendations for improvement of the indigent defense system in Pennsylvania; and
- Advising on approval and disbursement of grants each year under the Indigent Defense Grant Program.
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