The Office of the Federal Public Defender was established in the Southern District of Mississippi in July, 2002. The Northern District of Mississippi office opened in October, 2007. The office is dedicated to ensuring that the right to effective assistance of counsel guaranteed by the Sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution and the Criminal Justice Act (CJA), 18 U.S.C. ยง 3006A is enforced in the Districts of Mississippi on behalf of individuals who are unable to afford counsel and other necessary defense services. The main office is in Jackson with staffed branch offices in Gulfport and Oxford.