Our work begins at “impossible.”
When all hope seems lost, we offer perspective, skills, legal expertise, and care.
ABOUT US
The Butte Defense Equity Project (BDEP) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming criminal defense through a holistic, human-centered approach. By combining legal advocacy, social work, and community partnerships, BDEP works to support under-resourced individuals and promote a more equitable justice system in Butte County. In addition to zealous criminal defense of our clients’ legal rights, our team acts as a conduit to resources and an ongoing supportive presence to help clients activate their will to change their lives.
A Human-Centered Approach to Criminal Defense
BDEP is a social justice organization focused on indigent defense, recognizing the challenges that arise when under-resourced individuals become involved in the criminal justice system.
We understand that the right to counsel encompasses more than just legal representation; it involves embracing the entire humanity of a person, leveraging their non-monetary resources, and supporting them through the stress of navigating the criminal justice system. BDEP acknowledges the disparity in outcomes based on socioeconomic and racial lines and strives to confront this inequality through a model of representation that includes cutting edge social work and rigorous criminal defense.
In addition to direct representation, we are committed to collecting data to better understand local law enforcement practices, and using it to drive policy awareness and reform.
Our Services
We at BDEP are devoting our energy and creativity to developing the infrastructure to represent clients. We are not currently accepting applications for representation.
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Representation is by application only, and available only to clients who qualify for public defender representation in trial court. Each client works with a team comprised of a criminal defense attorney and a social worker. The attorney will drive the legal work, including pre-arrest advocacy, while the social worker establishes a case plan and supports the client in participating in relevant services.
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More and more people are eligible for dismissal of earlier convictions. BDEP is committed to assisting clients in removing conviction related barriers to their personal and professional success.
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BDEP is committed to working with community members, law enforcement agencies, and policymakers to promote policies and practices that reduce the likelihood of arrests and criminalization, particularly for marginalized and vulnerable populations.
“There is a crack, a crack in everything
That’s how the light gets in”
- Leonard Cohen
Want to help us transform lives?
Support Butte Defense Equity Project with a monetary gift. Every dollar supports our services to achieve our vision of equal access to justice.