criminal-justice-reform
Bipartisan Senate bill would change how Pa. charges children as adults | Tuesday Morning Coffee
A judge would have to sign off before a juvenile case is moved to to adult court.
Pa.’s criminal legal system increases overdose deaths and makes recovery impossible | Opinion
By Sean Fogler and Carla Sofronski In 2021, over 5,300 Pennsylvanians lost their lives to a preventable drug overdose. Pennsylvania policy makers and local government officials have led the charge in fueling this historic public health crisis. While there are many factors contributing to this horrific toll, Pennsylvania’s criminal legal system stands alone in its […]
Virginia abolished biased, botched executions; more states should follow suit | Opinion
The imposition of a death sentence gives a false impression that justice is being served.
Johnson-Shaw Foundation looks to help people re-enter society after prison | Helping the Helpers
'I would like people to understand the perspective that people re-entering (society) really do need guidance and assistance,' Shakira Johnson said.
Pa. House votes 107-85 to impeach Philly DA Larry Krasner; Senate will hold trial
'They have impeached me without presenting a single shred of evidence connecting our policies to any uptick in crime,' Krasner said.
What does the impeachment process look like in Pennsylvania?
Introducing articles of impeachment is just a first step in the seldom-used process.
A Pa. prison got a Scandinavian-style makeover. Here’s what happened next | Analysis
The change at SCI-Chester shows shows how the U.S. penal system could become more humane.
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 […]