criminal-justice-reform
U.S. Senate panel probes federal prisons ‘riddled with mismanagement’
Staff shortages have impacted the federal Bureau of Prisons' operations, former Pa. Corrections Secretary John E. Wetzel, told lawmakers.
House committee on Philadelphia crime hears stories of loss from gun violence survivors
Dominic Billa was buying clothes for an interview for a union apprenticeship when he was shot and killed in a brawl at a Philadelphia shopping mall last year. Before her 19-year-old son was murdered, Nakisha Billa said she heard almost daily news reports of shootings and murders in the state’s biggest city, and prayed, thinking […]
Former ‘lifers’ call on lawmakers to end ‘death by incarceration’
'Second chances doesn't mean everybody comes home, it means everybody has a chance to come home if they do the right thing,' state Sen. Sharif Street said.
Philly DA Krasner not alone among progressive prosecutors fighting GOP attacks
Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner won a hard-fought campaign in 2017 amid a rising wave of dissent over police shootings of unarmed people of color and calls to reform criminal justice policies that harm the nation’s most vulnerable communities. Five years later, following a resounding reelection victory in 2021, Krasner is among progressive prosecutors across […]
Wolf admin announces pardon push for people with certain marijuana convictions
(*This story was updated at 12:08 p.m. on Thursday, 9/1/22 to include comment from House Republican spokesperson Jason Gottesman) With months left to go at the helm, the Wolf administration on Thursday announced it’s launching what it’s describing as a “one-time, large-scale pardoning project,” for people convicted of minor, non-violent marijuana offenses. Democratic Gov. Tom […]
New report paints mixed picture of recidivism in Pa. prisons | Thursday Morning Coffee
Most people who are released from custody return within three years; officials stress progress.
Philadelphia DA Krasner rejects subpoena by House panel investigating crime surge
'Bogus attacks against this committee, a committee empowered by a bipartisan majority of the House and acting under clear constitutional authority, are particularly troubling,' Rep. John Lawrence said.
Ending direct file: A step toward providing unwavering care to all our young people | Opinion
I spent so much time in isolation once I first arrived in the jail that I had trouble adjusting to being in the population. When I was finally let out, it was difficult for me to socialize because I had constantly been in survival mode. It was extremely challenging for me to connect with others in a meaningful way. Before I went to prison as a child, I had never experienced anxiety, depression, or thoughts of self-harm. More than a year after my release, I still struggle with the psychological side effects of my confinement.
The District of Columbia allows incarcerated people to vote, a rarity in the U.S.
In July 2020, the District became the third place in the nation to grant the right to vote to people who are incarcerated.
White supremacy and the post-Roe pregnancy-to-prison pipeline | Opinion
Women of color have warned for half a century of the racist result of anti-abortion laws.
Responsible gun owners know it’s nuts to permit firearms that scare police | Jay Bookman
If more guns made us safer, we’d be the safest society in the history of Planet Earth, but we’re not.
Gun violence reduction laws will pass only when more Blacks get guns | Michael Coard
White men with guns are dangerous — murderously dangerous. And it ain’t nothing new.