Kristen Staley

Kristen Staley is the Executive Director of the Michigan Indigent Defense Commission, where she leads a dedicated staff responsible for aiding the Commission in development and implementation of minimum standards for public defense statewide. Kristen has also served the MIDC as its South-Central Michigan Regional Manager, where she oversaw the compliance of MIDC standards and development of best practices in public defense among twelve counties. Prior to joining the MIDC, Kristen was the Deputy Director of the Michigan Council on Crime and Delinquency, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing effective policies and practices within the adult and youth justice systems. During her tenure she helped increase resources and technical assistance for evidence-based programming among Michigan’s courts; led public policy initiatives to limit the adultification of youth in Michigan’s justice system; and spearheaded legislative and grassroots campaigns to safely reduce reliance on incarceration. Kristen is Co-Director of the Midwest Juvenile Defender Center and a member of the National Juvenile Defender Center’s national advisory board. She also worked as a legal advocate in the Vermont Legal Aid’s Health Care Ombudsman Office, was an appellate clerk with the Kentucky Department of Public Advocacy’s Juvenile Post-Disposition Unit and is an experienced facilitator of restorative justice panels. Kristen received her B.A. from American University and J.D. from the University of Louisville.