Over the years, spending on public defense has increased, but it remains far below other criminal justice expenditures, including corrections and police protection. While there are many contributing factors leading to rising incarceration, underfunding of public defender offices may be one of these. In 2008, for everyone dollar spent on public defense, taxpayers spend nearly $14 on correction. The United States also spends proportionately less on public defense than many other countries. While public defense systems that are entirely or primarily funded at the state level can still be severely underfunded, passing the burden on to counties can lead to greater disparities among counties in public defense representation.
