The San Diego Public Defender's Office's PACC team is committed to assisting indigent clients from arrest through their reintegration into the community. They focus on early representation and connecting clients with essential resources, aiming to release individuals when appropriate, regardless of their ability to pay bail. Collaboration with clients, families, community organizations, and government partners enhances the likelihood of clients attending court dates and addressing underlying issues. The team also organizes monthly homeless courts and regional Homeless Court Pop-up Resource Fairs, removing barriers to accessing benefits, housing, treatment, and ID/driver's license renewals. Simultaneously, the San Diego Workforce Partnership partners with the Sheriff's Department to provide workforce readiness services for incarcerated individuals, helping them discover and express their unique talents, boosting confidence, and facilitating a positive transition to the workforce upon release.

Learning Objective:
1. Learn about effective partnership models for supporting our justice impacted community members reentering the workforce
2. Understand the legality and importance of early representation
3. Increase public safety by using a risk-needs-responsivity model to address the root cause of justice-involved folks and connect them to appropriate services