SMU Deason Center Receives Combined $5 Million From Local and National Philanthropies for Continued Legal Defense 研究 and Advocacy

DALLAS (SMU) – In the five years since its inception, SMU 戴德曼法学院’s 迪森刑事司法改革中心 has rapidly grown from a startup with one employee to a public defense research powerhouse and a national leader in 第六修正案要求律师的权利 advocacy. 现在, the center’s founding donors and two additional philanthropic partners have directed additional funding to further support its mission and success.

2016年，迪森基金会和 查尔斯·科赫基金会 为迪森中心的建立提供了资金. The nonpartisan research center has since become a sought-after resource for studying and improving public defense services. Organizations across the country have used the center’s research and expertise to improve their understanding of indigent defense, 获得律师的权利, 农村刑事法律制度, 以及检控裁量权.

迪森基金会现在捐赠了2美元.500万年, a five-year gift that bolsters the center’s innovative research and data-driven advocacy for nonpartisan reform of the criminal legal system. The Deason Foundation’s renewed gift further supports SMU’s $1.50亿美元的竞选， 新大点燃:大胆塑造明天, by enriching teaching and research at the Deason Center and strengthening the center’s reputation as a leader in public defense and pretrial due process.

“The Deason Foundation is so pleased with the results the 迪森刑事司法改革中心 has achieved in its first five years,道格·迪森说, 迪森基金会主任. ”在一起, 一个由捐助者和新大专家组成的多元化团体, 由我们出色的执行董事帕梅拉·梅茨格领导, are achieving lasting improvements in our country’s criminal justice system. We are proud to renew our support to further the center’s impact.”

另一位创始者, 查尔斯·科赫基金会, 他承诺捐1美元,050,000 to support the center in 2023 – the largest one-year commitment the Deason Center has received.

“We are excited to continue our partnership with the Deason Center at SMU,瑞安·斯托尔斯说, 查尔斯·科赫基金会执行董事. “The center works hard to find innovative solutions to the most pressing criminal justice reform issues, including changing the paradigm around 获得律师的权利. We look forward to the work the Deason Center will continue to do to break the barriers that prevent individuals from leading fulfilling lives.”

Arnold Ventures is also joining the list of national philanthropies investing in the Deason Center’s mission by supporting grants of more than $1.2 million to back research focused on pretrial due process and early access to counsel. A philanthropy dedicated to tackling some of the most pressing problems in the United States, 阿诺德风险投资公司于2021年开始支持迪森中心.

“These commitments illustrate the value of collaborations between philanthropies and leading research universities like SMU,新加坡管理大学校长R. 杰拉尔德•特纳. “The Deason Center’s innovative and actionable research makes tangible improvements in communities across the country. Those improvements are only possible because of significant donor support.”

迪森中心的工作主要集中在三个方面:

• 倡导 第六修正案要求律师的权利. This includes researching strategies that improve public defense systems, 促进迅速出庭, 减少不必要的滞留, and ensure effective representation for any person accused of a crime.

• 确保 小的，部落和农村(STAR)社区 是国家刑事司法改革运动的一部分吗. This includes researching strategies to provide equal access to justice in areas where resources and lawyers are scarce.

• Understanding and improving the process by which prosecutors decide how and when to charge a person with a crime. 研究 检控自由裁量权 helps prosecutors nationwide adopt smart and sustainable practices in their communities.

“The Deason Center’s work advocating for criminal justice reform across the nation is incredibly important,杰森·南斯说, Judge James Noel Dean and Professor of Law at SMU 戴德曼法学院. “I’m excited that our students have opportunities to be a part of this innovative research, and I’m looking forward to being a champion of the center’s success as their work expands.”

除了得到国家组织的支持之外, local donors are also investing in the Deason Center’s mission. 基督基金会, a Dallas-based organization that supports criminal justice reform initiatives across the country, is supporting the center’s research partnership with the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. The District Attorney Learning and 领导 through Application of Science (DALLAS) initiative investigates the impact of pretrial reforms on racial equity and due process. It also studies screening and charging workflows in the DA’s office, empowering Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot to make informed, data-driven decisions that reduce prosecutorial bottlenecks and increase pretrial release.

“这些礼物帮助我们证明了获得咨询的权利, shine a light on issues surrounding formal charges and pretrial appearances, 提倡小型企业, 部落, 和农村(STAR)社区, 改革影响无数美国人的不公正做法,帕梅拉说。. Metzger, SMU 戴德曼法学院 professor and Deason Center director. “我们非常感谢迪森基金会, 查尔斯·科赫基金会, Arnold Ventures and the Chrest Foundation for supporting our work to bring a stats-and-stories approach to criminal legal reform.”