The project has three primary goals: (a) to reduce the financial burden of student loans that discourages lawyers from pursuing careers in defense and prosecution, (b) to improve the retention of…

The project has three primary goals: (a) to reduce the financial burden of student loans that discourages lawyers from pursuing careers in defense and prosecution, (b) to improve the retention of defenders and prosecutors by providing student loan repayment assistance as compensation for their typically lower salaries compared to private practice, and (c) to balance these priorities by focusing on those "least able to pay" while promoting long-term service in these roles. Since the program's inception in 2010, the number of prosecutors and public defenders has seen modest increases in staffing levels. The project uses a personalized outreach approach. Rhode island's small geographic size, combined with a single statewide prosecuting authority for felonies and a unified statewide public defender system, allows for direct notification of repayment opportunities to every eligible attorney. The state's only law school has also pledged full cooperation with outreach efforts. A minor base award will be equitably distributed to all eligible defender and prosecutor beneficiaries. Supplemental awards will be based on "least ability to pay," calculated by comparing educational debt to household income. Additionally, bonus awards will be granted based on accumulated years of service as a defender or prosecutor in any jurisdiction. In previous years, all eligible applicants, regardless of financial need, received some award. However, due to a significant reduction in available funds, the state administering agency (SAA) may eliminate applicants whose educational debt-to-household income ratio falls below a certain threshold, depending on the size of the applicant pool. Priority consideration will be given to individuals with an ongoing john r. Justice loan repayment program (jrjlrp) service agreement at the time of selection. The SAA will only RE-select individuals whom they reasonably believe will maintain their eligibility for continued JRJ benefits.