Some of our major areas of focus include assisting individuals with insurmountable court costs and fees. Many of the board members are or were public defenders. We would often see clients faced with the option of paying a large fee for a program or taking a conviction and getting time served. For many clients, paying a fee was not ever a feasible option.
Similarly, RDF works with individuals experiencing homelessness to provide funding for gap housing opportunities as well as acquisition of identity documents. The revolving door of jail to hospital to streets and back again can be interrupted if someone has access to the necessary documents for treatment and housing as well as a plan for continued care through the transition from institution to the streets. We help support this through our gap housing and identity document program.