URGENT BUDGET ACTION: Tell the Mayor and your Supervisor to Increase Funding for SF Public Defender’s Office
Call your Mayor.
Call ONE of the Supervisors. Note: only one of these Supervisors represents you. Find out which one here.
Call Script
My name is __________. I am a constituent, and my zip code is _______. I am a member of Indivisible SF.
As a San Francisco [resident/ worker/ student], I am reaching out to urge you to increase funding for the San Francisco Public Defender’s Office in this year’s budget. The Public Defender’s Office is essential to ensuring justice and due process for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents—primarily Black, brown, immigrant, and low-income individuals who are disproportionately impacted by the criminal legal system. With significantly higher caseloads and no access to overtime unlike other public safety departments, public defenders are being stretched beyond their limits, leaving people to wait for trials in overcrowded and inhumane jail conditions.
The Public Defender’s Office is not only a constitutional mandate—it is a moral imperative. Their work supports families, protects immigrant communities from deportation, and provides legal defense to individuals with serious mental health and substance use challenges. Despite the scope and significance of this work, the office remains severely underfunded compared to other justice agencies. In a time of increasing arrests and prosecutions, we must ensure this office has the staffing and resources necessary to meet the moment. I respectfully ask that you prioritize equitable funding for the Public Defender’s Office to support true justice and safety in San Francisco.
Background
The Public Defender’s Office is often the only line of defense for some of our most vulnerable neighbors—Black, brown, immigrant, and low-income residents who are over-policed, over-incarcerated, and underserved. The Public Defender's Office is the sole department that fulfills a constitutional mandate to provide legal representation to people who cannot afford it. Yet, its budget is a fraction of what other criminal legal departments receive: 60% of the District Attorney’s budget, less than 17% of the Sheriff’s budget, and less than 7% of the police department’s budget.
In a time of increasing arrests and prosecutions, it remains underfunded despite 25% increase in arrests by police and 31% ramp up in case charged by the District Attorney.
Here is what you can do.
Email the Mayor and SF Supervisors by Friday May 23rd!
Post on social media by Friday, May 23!
Give public comment on Monday June 23rd at 10AM at City Hall, the City’s Public Comment Day!
Please see the Public Defender Toolkit with emails and social media scripts here: http://bit.ly/SupportPublicDefense