For some reason, people forget that long before New York or Illinois ended cash bail, New Jersey successfully eliminated cash bail. As Joseph Krakora shares on today’s episode, that initiative came, in part, because Public Defense was valued enough by local politicians to be a major voice in shaping criminal justice reform. With more than a decade as the head of the New Jersey Public Defender System, few are better situated to share the story of bail reform and Public Defense in the state of New Jersey. Most importantly though, this story highlights why it is so important for Public Defenders to make themselves heard when policy is being crafted.       Guest: Joseph Krakora, Public Defender of the State of New Jersey Resources: Office of the New Jersey Public Defender https://nj.gov/defender/   NAPD Conference Sign Up https://napd2023riseresistrepresent.sched.com/ Contact Hunter Parnell: Publicdefenseless@gmail.com  Instagram @PublicDefenselessPodcast Twitter                                                                 @PDefenselessPod www.publicdefenseless.com