The graph highlights a significant shortfall in the number of public defense attorneys in Illinois. While around 1,000 attorneys are currently allocated, the system requires nearly 2,000 to meet the demand, resulting in a shortage of several hundred. This gap indicates that the public defense system is under-resourced, which could negatively impact the quality of legal representation for indigent defendants.
There are significant shortages in the public defense system for investigators, mental health professionals, and support staff. Allocated resources are well below the required levels in all categories, with large shortfalls across the board. This highlights the system's inability to meet staffing needs, affecting the quality of legal representation.
There is a significant disparity between prosecution and defense budget allocation statewide. The differential is greater than the difference in prosecution and defense work assignments. Moreover, the budget analysis does not account for the resources provided to prosecution such as police investigations, reports and expert testimony. This imbalance impacts the fairness and effectiveness of legal representation for indigent defendants.