FRESNO OFFICE
2300 Tulare Street, Suite 330
Fresno, CA 93721
Toll Free: 855-656-4360
TEL: 559-487-5561
FAX: 559-487-5950

SACRAMENTO OFFICE
801 I Street, 3rd floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Toll Free: 855-328-8339
TEL: 916-498-5700
FAX: 916-498-5710

Social Services

As public defenders, we try to achieve the best possible outcomes for clients, their families, and their communities. This combines zealous legal advocacy with an understanding that for many of our clients the criminal case adds to many other issues that challenge them. Accordingly, we also focus on collateral issues - such as unstable housing, lack of health care, difficult family situations, mental illness, poverty, unemployment, immigration concerns, and substance addiction - that may need to be addressed in conjunction with their criminal case. Often these issues have driven our clients into the criminal justice system and must be resolved to truly keep them out in the future.

We have social workers in both our Sacramento and Fresno offices who counsel clients and aid them in addressing these issues. By helping clients with their social support needs, we hope to enable the best possible resolution of their criminal justice case. We also cooperate with the Court, the Pretrial Services Office, and the Probation Office in trying to help our clients fill any gap in services that might create recidivism risk.

Contact for Social Services:

For Sacramento:
Deanna Lynn-Steele
Social Worker
Federal Public Defender Office
801 I Street, Floor 3,
Sacramento, CA 95814
916-498-5700
crystal_sheffield@fd.org

For Fresno:
Kevin Mitchel
Social Service Paralegal
Federal Public Defender Office
2300 Tulare Street, Suite 330,
Fresno, CA 93721
559-487-5561
Kevin_Mitchel@fd.org
















Social Service Events:


Pathways to Progress Resource Fair

Twice each year, the Pathways to Progress Resource Fair (P2P) brings together employers, resource providers, and community agencies for an inspiring and informative event. The Pathways to Progress Resources Fair has an overall focus of providing reentry resources, education, and employment resources for former federally incarcerated individuals, and their families. The Pathways to Progress Resource Fair is a collaborative effort of the Federal Defender's Office, the Federal Probation Office, and the Federal PreTrial Services Office. Each year, the Justice Anthony Kennedy Library and Learning Center hosts this event in their beautiful venue at the Robert T. Matsui Federal Courthouse in Sacramento.

Our next Pathways to Progress Resource Fair will be announced at a later date.