Jacob Bowden

The Bronx Defenders

The Bronx Defenders provides innovative, holistic, and client-centered criminal defense, family defense, civil legal services, social work support and advocacy to indigent people of the Bronx. Today, our staff of over 250 represents 35,000 individuals each year and reaches hundreds more through outreach programs and community legal education. In the Bronx and beyond, The Bronx Defenders promotes justice in low-income communities by keeping families together. We look beyond individual cases and use community education, leadership development, impact litigation, and legislative reform to challenge entrenched problems that drive individuals into the justice system. We operate on multiple levels: as a provider of Holistic Defense working one-on-one with clients and families; as a community resource; and as a force for systemic change advocating with policymakers. We seek partnerships with community-based providers and leverage their expertise to ensure that our clients' expressed needs are addressed. We also rely upon our deep connections to community members to alert us to emerging trends that directly impact our clients' well-being.