The Mission
Mitigation Mentor’s mission is to provide the education and resources to ensure every criminal case is assigned a skilled mitigation specialist, and in turn, every defendant can have their story told. Mitigation Mentor strives to increase the number of qualified mitigation specialists in the criminal justice field by equipping clinicians with the training and resources necessary to excel at mitigation work. Mitigation work is the pivotal factor between a lifetime in prison and the opportunity for a fresh start.
Lindsay Bendell, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Forensic Social Worker, Mitigation Specialist
Lindsay Bendell began her career as a Licensed Social Worker and Mitigation Specialist for the Office of the Colorado State Public Defender, where she honed her skills of rapport building, client assessment, systems advocacy, and persuasive report writing. In 2020, she started Community Justice Services, where she provides mitigation, release and treatment planning, supportive services, consultation, and case management services to aid in criminal defense cases.
Lindsay has been featured as a presenter for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers as well as the National Legal Aid and Defense Association. She has provided CLE training for attorney organizations across the country and helped found Solutions for Achieving Fast, Effective Response (SAFER), to address homelessness in suburban areas during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Through her mitigation work, Lindsay has assisted in obtaining freedom for numerous clients across the United States. Her true passion lies in ensuring clients have a voice in telling their own life stories. Mitigation Mentor came about as a way to expand clinicians’ access to skills and resources which are invaluable in giving clients their second chance.
