An immigrant from Cuba, Carlos Martinez has made indigent defense his life’s work. He was elected Public Defender of Miami-Dade County in 2008 and was re-elected without opposition in 2012 and 2016. The first Cuban-American public defender in the United States, Martinez has launched multiple initiatives to help returning citizens obtain employment, educate young people about the consequences of illegal behavior, and engage the faith community in promoting social justice and improving public safety.
Event Recording: Second Chances: Sustaining Progress
As part of Second Chance Month activities, the Council on Criminal Justice’s Centering Justice initiative and a panel of experts examined how second chance policies are working in practice, what drives success and failure, and what it will take to sustain progress over time.
