In Effort to Help Environment and Save Indiana Taxpayer Money—
The Office of the Public Defender of Indiana has been recognized as a Law Office Climate Challenge Partner by the American Bar Association (ABA). Public Defender of Indiana, Susan Carpenter, explained, “We are pleased to be a part of a program that will help the environment and allow Indiana to see savings from reduced paper consumption and lower printing costs.”
The ABA Section of Environment, Energy and Resources (SEER) partnered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to encourage law offices and organizations to take practical steps to become more energy-efficient and environmentally conscious. The Indiana Public Defender’s office is taking part in the initiative and has become a Climate Challenge Partner.
The office has modified its print server to shift printing from laser printers to copiers. This reduces the per sheet cost for printing because copier ink is much cheaper than toner cartridges for laser printers. The change also reduces consumption of paper because the copiers have the capability, unlike most laser printers, to print on both sides of a sheet of paper and to print multiple pages per side. “By making this change, the Public Defender’s Office has adopted best practices for paper management, and we anticipate a substantial savings to the state because of reduced paper consumption and lower costs for copier ink compared to the expensive toner for printers,” explained Chief Deputy Public Defender of Indiana, Bill Polansky.
Law offices and organizations can meet the Climate Challenge by adopting best practices for office paper management or by participating in one or more of three voluntary EPA partnership programs. Indiana courts and agencies continue to demonstrate a commitment to diminishing paper waste. In April 2009, the Indiana Court of Appeals became the first court in the country to be named a Law Office Climate Challenge Partner for implementing a comprehensive plan to reduce paper use within its offices. For more information about the ABA’s Climate Challenge program, visit www.abanet.org/environ/climatechallenge/partners.shtml.
The Public Defender of Indiana is a state-funded agency that provides representation to indigent incarcerated individuals in post-conviction relief cases to assure the fundamental fairness of the criminal justice system. It provides post-conviction counsel to indigent defendants in all capital cases and to eligible indigent defendants in non-capital cases. The Public Defender is appointed by the Indiana Supreme Court.