SJC Exchange Library

In August 2000, the North Carolina General Assembly passed the Indigent Defense Services Act of 2000, creating the Office of Indigent Defense Services (IDS) and charging it with the responsibility of overseeing the provision of legal representation to indigent defendants in North Carolina. The cornerstone of IDS's mission is to ensure that poor people have the same legal protections as everyone else. Our goals are to ensure that every client is provided with an attorney that has the legal qualifications, training, and resources needed to be an effective advocate and to manage the state's indigent defense fund in an efficient and equitable manner. North Carolina's passage of the IDS Act makes it a national leader in the development of indigent defense programs.

North Carolina has 100 counties within 43 judicial districts, and the criminal justice system can vary within each county. North Carolina’s indigent defense services are organized around these county-based systems. Services are provided by either a public defender, court appointed attorney, or contractual agreements. As of 2012, 26 counties have public-defender-based systems, which together handle approximately 34% of the state’s indigent defense caseload. Every year, over 2,500 indigent defense attorneys represent more than 275,000 North Carolina citizens who face potential incarceration by the state.
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