KQED's Forum A Public Defender’s Blueprint For How To Fix Our Criminal Justice System
Feb 9, 2026
Emily Galvin-Almanza, former public defender and legal activist who co-founded Partners for Justice, outlines where the criminal legal system breaks down. She explains holistic defense, client advocate models, discovery delays, mass caseloads, and how reforms like better incentives, court accessibility, and restorative approaches could change outcomes. Her stories highlight bureaucratic harm and practical fixes.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Words Shape How We See The System
- Emily Galvin-Almanza avoids the term "criminal justice" and uses "criminal legal system" to be linguistically precise and humane.
- Language shapes perception; words like "custody" and "offender" sanitize harm and dehumanize people.
Use Holistic Defense Teams
- Build holistic defense teams combining attorneys, social workers, and specialists under one roof to address root causes and collateral harms.
- Partners for Justice embeds client advocates with public defenders to improve outcomes and mitigation storytelling.
Holistic Defense Improves Outcomes
- Studies show holistic defense increases dismissals and reduces confinement without harming public safety.
- Partners for Justice reports nearly 9,000 years of incarceration avoided and a ~50% boost in non-conviction outcomes.
