The Office of the Public Defender for the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida represents individuals in criminal and civil proceedings who are entitled to court-appointed counsel under the United States and Florida Constitutions, or as authorized by Florida law. The office represents individuals charged with criminal offenses, individuals who are subject to mental health commitments, and individuals who are subject to civil commitment under the Jimmy Ryce Act.
Clients range in age from children (under age 18) to elderly defendants.
In this office, the primary function of the Forensic Social Worker (also called a Mitigation Specialist) is to assist attorneys representing capital defendants (against whom the state is seeking the death penalty) juveniles facing life sentences (JLWOP) and adults who were sentenced to life without parole as children but who are being resentenced under recent decisions of the US and FL Supreme Courts.
The Forensic Social Worker investigates, develops and presents the client's social history to fact finders (i.e., prosecutors, juries and judges) in the form of comprehensive social histories (an example is attached). The goal of the Forensic Social Worker is to identify all mitigating circumstances relevant to sentencing and present those circumstances in a compelling manner in hopes that the fact-finder will make decisions about the client in light of his entire life history and not just the crime of which the client stands accused. Social work interns will interview clients (in jails and prisons in Florida) and potential mitigation witnesses; read, analyze and digest documentary evidence (i.e., socially historical records from a variety of agencies); write comprehensive chronologies and social histories; create genograms; attend court proceedings; attend defense team meetings; and assist with research. Interns will also have the opportunity to attend interoffice training opportunities relevant to Forensic Social Work.
BSW, MSW (1st year, 2nd year, Advanced Standing), part-time and full time, generalists and clinical.
1. Will a student need transportation? Yes
2. Is travel reimbursed by the agency? No.
3. Is a stipend available? No.
4. Do students need liability insurance? No.
5. Is video or audio taping permitted? No.
6. What are the agency's hours? 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., ET
7. Are weekend and evening hours available for working students? No.
8. Is the agency accessible by bus? Yes.