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The Day One campaign is a national initiative focused on the urgent problems that often arise in the immediate aftermath of an arrest. Across the country, thousands of Americans continue to wait days or weeks following their arrest before they see a judge or meet an attorney. The Day One campaign seeks to end this injustice by advocating for state-level reforms that will guarantee immediate due process protections for every person accused of a crime.

Most Americans believe that, after an arrest, they will quickly appear before a judge, learn about the charges against them, and have an attorney assigned to defend them. Unfortunately, this is not always true. Instead, an arrested person can wait in jail for days, weeks, or even months before seeing a judge or meeting an attorney. This project chronicles the resulting initial appearance crisis and highlights its devastating consequences. More importantly, it provides policymakers and advocates with actionable recommendations.

Texas’ rural communities urgently need more prosecutors and public defense providers. Many rural prosecutor’s offices cannot recruit and retain enough staff, so the Constitution’s promise of equal justice for all remains unfulfilled. Rural Texans deserve the same constitutional protections as their urban and suburban counterparts. With strong recruitment strategies, targeted incentive programs, and new rural defender offices, Texas can green its criminal law deserts.

Rural communities across the nation are far less likely to receive the Constitution’s protections. In rural criminal law deserts—areas with too few qualified attorneys to meet local needs—rural communities suffer. Rural courts meet less frequently. Victims wait for prosecutors to investigate. Evidence disappears, and witnesses’ memories fade.  Tackling these issues should be a national priority. This project offers evidence-based solutions that can be implemented nationwide to solve the criminal legal desert crisis.

Our country faces a crisis of punishment without prosecution. Across the United States, people languish in jail, waiting to learn whether prosecutors will file charges against them. Unfortunately, there are no clear constitutional limits on how long a prosecutor can delay making a charging decision. While an arrest brings a person into the criminal legal system, only a prosecutor can decide whether to seek a conviction or decline prosecution. And an arrested person can wait in jail for days, weeks, or even months before a prosecutor reviews their case.

Policy Director

Day One Campaign Director

Empirical Policy Attorney

Senior Staff Attorney

Staff Attorney

Research and Policy Analyst