October 8, 2024: Chief Defender Keisha Hudson and Director of Prison Advocacy Tom Innes spoke with Tonya Pendleton about Philly jail conditions on WURD’s “Reality Check.”
Full audio below:
Author: GJackson@philadefender.org
Children are Children
Last fall, public defenders, advocates and justice system-impacted people convened for three days to build power and envision what youth justice looks like in Philadelphia.
Watch the videos below to hear their thoughts and insights. (🎥 produced, shot and edited by Zealous)
Driving Equality Law Highlighted on “Last Week Tonight”
“Last Week Tonight” Host John Oliver did a deep dive into the problem of pretextual police stops, holding up the “Driving Equality” Law as an example of positive changes to the practice. They even pulled a quote from analysis done by our Police Accountability Unit.
Watch the full segment below (video contains adult language):
Defender PAU on “Public Defenseless” Podcast
How Philly Public Defenders Uncovered Systemic Abuses in the Philly Police Department
Mike Mellon and Paula Sen from the Police Accountability Unit joined Hunter Parnell on the “Public Defenseless” podcast. The PAU team spoke about how their work helped to uncover a systemic pattern and practice of lies and illegal use of surveillance cameras.
Click the “play” button below to listen.
Defender x HU Public Defender Incubator Program
Howard University School of Law just launched a brand-new program, the Public Defender Incubator Program (PDIP), aimed at training the next generation of public defenders.
The goal of the program is to bring more passionate and skilled lawyers into public defense field and fight for justice where it’s needed most. The Defender Association is thrilled to support Howard in this mission and can’t wait to see these future defenders in action!
Defender Association attorneys and staff will be partnering in a variety of ways, including class presentations, and participation in mock interviews and mock trials. We’ll share more images and updates as Howard Law takes this important step toward growing the public defense field.
Keisha Hudson on Prison Oversight Bill
PHILADELPHIA—“The Defender Association commends Councilmembers Isaiah Thomas and Nicolas O’Rourke, as well as all the co-sponsors (Council President Johnson, and Councilmembers Ahmad, Bass, Brooks, Driscoll, Gauthier, Harrity, Jones, Landau, Lozada, O’Neill, Phillips, Squilla, and Young) for their leadership in introducing an amendment to create a new Philadelphia Prison Community Oversight Board and Office of Prison Oversight.
“This legislation is a strong and crucial first step toward addressing the persistently dangerous conditions in Philly’s jails. We’re hopeful that the new oversight will increase transparency; improve communication between the jails and our office, as well as between the jails and the community; and enhance safety for both incarcerated people and prison staff by reducing the jail population.
“This legislation represents a thoughtful and comprehensive approach to public safety that goes beyond law enforcement, arrests and convictions. To that end, we echo the sentiments of Councilmembers Thomas and O’Rourke, who remind us that we have a responsibility to all of our citizens–including those behind bars.”
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Statement: Another Death in Philly Jails
PHILADELPHIA–“The ongoing neglect by criminal justice partners to address the horrendous conditions in Philly’s jails has resulted in the tragic death of Michael McKinnis. The Defender Association is still awaiting full information on the circumstances surrounding his death. For the second time in just ten days, we extend condolences to the family of another victim in the custody of the Philadelphia Department of Prisons.
“No guard was assigned to the unit where Mr. McKinnis was housed—an inexcusable but predictable outcome of the well-known guard shortage on State Road. The Defender Association has consistently proposed ways to safely reduce the jail population and ease pressure on the staff. We’ve repeatedly called for collaboration and dialogue to develop solutions to end this crisis.
“This crisis requires us to move as quickly and proactively as we did when COVID-19 was spreading through the jails. The time for city leaders to act is overdue. If this lack of urgency continues, more people are going to die in Philly’s jails.”
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Helen Gym to Join Defender Board
PHILADELPHIA–The Board of Directors of the Defender Association of Philadelphia is proud to announce that Helen Gym will join the Board of Directors as a Community Board member [effective this month]. Helen Gym is a foundation fellow and a former Philadelphia City Councilmember who established right to counsel protections for tenants facing eviction and for immigrants facing deportation.
“Helen offers the Board a wealth of experience and insight through her lifelong commitment to social justice,” said Defender Board president Paul Hetznecker, “For the past three decades Helen has been a leader in fighting for immigrant communities, public education and human rights. Her policies uplifted the needs and voices of youth and families, particularly those in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. We are very excited to have Helen join our 90-year mission to provide the best representation to the residents of Philadelphia charged with crimes who cannot afford a lawyer.”
“Helen Gym’s record of fighting for marginalized communities in Philadelphia is legendary,” said Chief Defender Keisha Hudson, “Our board will benefit greatly from her leadership experience and vast knowledge of our city.”
Statement on Latest Overdose Death in Philly Jails
PHILADELPHIA–“The hearts of everyone at the Defender Association of Philadelphia are with the family of Amanda Cahill, who lost her life while in custody after being arrested in the latest ‘Kensington sweep.’ This devastating but avoidable tragedy highlights a fundamental failure in the City’s approach to dealing with the addiction crisis.
“Philadelphia’s jails are severely understaffed, and struggle to handle the existing prison population. They are simply not equipped to handle the surge of people with addiction resulting from these ‘sweeps.’ Ms. Cahill’s death is precisely the kind of tragedy that occurs when we use ineffective law enforcement tactics to address what is ultimately a public health issue. Arresting people suffering from addiction and placing them in jails that are unprepared to meet their many medical and mental health needs will only lead to more preventable deaths.
“We must prioritize the health and safety of all residents by investing in solutions that treat addiction as a medical condition, not a crime. If these sweeps are to continue, medical personnel should be on hand to conduct thorough examinations to determine whether individuals can be sent to hospitals rather than to jail.
“Clearly, the situation in Kensington is dire. That’s why the Defender Association has been calling for the City to work in collaboration with every justice system stakeholder to address these urgent issues comprehensively. Only by working in partnership—across public health, social services, law enforcement, and the legal community—can we prevent tragedies like Amanda Cahill from becoming the norm.
“We once again urge the city to reevaluate its current strategies and work with us and our community partners to find evidence-based solutions that genuinely address the root causes of addiction. Instead of a system that criminalizes our most vulnerable residents, let’s work together to build one that protects them—and their communities—in their most vulnerable moments.”
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