Resolution retroactively authorizing the San Francisco Public Defender's Office to accept and expend a grant in the amount of $850,000 from the Office of the State Public Defender to maintain the capacity of the office's post-conviction unit (The Freedom Project) to meet the increased demand for decarceration, reentry, and resentencing reform services for the period of February 1, 2026, through June 1, 2028.

This resolution retroactively authorizes the San Francisco Public Defender's Office to accept and expend a $850,000 grant from the Office of the State Public Defender. The grant will fund The Freedom Project, the office's post-conviction unit, from February 1, 2026, through June 1, 2028. The funding aims to increase the capacity of the unit to meet the rising demand for services related to decarceration, reentry, and resentencing reform. The grant will support two Holistic Case & Reentry Specialists and cover costs such as expert fees for litigation, client incentives for emergency housing and necessities, and community outreach. The project has previously contributed to a 30% reduction in San Francisco's prison population, saving the state an estimated $226 million, with clients facing zero new convictions.