Category: Community Partnerships

Statement on Alexander Spencer Shooting

Posted on by GJackson@philadefender.org

PHILADELPHIA—”The Defender Association of Philadelphia sends its condolences to Alexander Spencer’s family, friends and community. We join the public call for a thorough and transparent investigation into the incident that led to his death on January 26.

 

“As public defenders, we know it’s a mistake to jump to conclusions before all the evidence has come to light. But what’s been reported so far sounds too similar to tragedies that have played out in Philly and across the country–right down to the police narrative that seems to shift with every new piece of information revealed.

 

“Every time there’s an incident like this, it creates more mistrust between the police and the neighborhoods they’re sworn to protect. If we want our communities to be safe, we need to explore and invest in interventions that help reduce, not increase, the number of interactions between law enforcement and our communities.

 

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Apply Today: HBCU Community Engagement Fellows

Posted on by GJackson@philadefender.org
About the Program:

 

The Defender Association is one of the public defender offices participating in the Black Public Defenders Association Community Engagement Fellowship. The fellowship is a 12-week summer program that pairs Black undergraduate and graduate HBCU students, who aspire to do racial equity and community defense work, with public defender offices.

 

This fully paid internship opportunity will offer hands-on lessons about addressing systemic issues of racism that plague the legal system while inspiring young people to achieve their educational goals and consider careers in public defense. The internship opportunity will be promoted to Black undergraduates and graduate students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

 

Visit the BPDA website for more details

HBCU Students: Apply Today!

The application deadline is Friday, February 2. 

 

Saturday, December 9: Expungement Clinic

Posted on by GJackson@philadefender.org

WHEN: Saturday, December 9  |  12:00 p.m.

WHERE: Tustin Recreation Center, 5901 W Columbia Ave, Philadelphia

 

This Saturday, the Defender Association, is partnering with the Philadelphia Technician Training Institute, Free Library of Philadelphia and the ReAwakening Agency for a

 

Record Expungement Clinic and Resource Fair

 

The event features information on re-entry programs, employment assistance, healthcare and community services, and FREE criminal record expungement help from Defender Association attorneys.

 

Download the event flyer for details

Defender Joins Protest of ICE at Philly Courthouses

Posted on by GJackson@philadefender.org
Chief Defender Keisha Hudson, joined a press conference organized by Juntos to protest Federal ICE agents’ practice of detaining undocumented clients, witnesses and family members outside of Philly’s courtrooms. Full remarks below: 

 

The Defender Association of Philadelphia represents over 70% of the people accused of crimes in the city. All of our clients are poor, most of them are people of color and many of them undocumented city residents.

 

All of these groups have one thing in common: a fraught relationship with our justice system. As public defenders, it is our job to provide the best possible legal counsel to our clients.

 

But mistrust in our system often makes it difficult to get them, as well as witnesses from the community and even supporters and family members, to fully participate in the legal process.

 

Enforcement of immigration laws does not mean interfering with our ability to deliver justice for our clients and communities. But that’s exactly what’s happening here.

 

ICE’s practice of literally seizing individuals as they step foot outside of this courthouse undermines the court’s ability to provide equal access to justice and shatters confidence in the safety of the courthouse and the judicial system–not just among the undocumented, but the general public.

 

We’ve raised this issue with the leadership of the First Judicial District. We’re hopeful that the Courts will work with us to find solutions to curb the very serious threat ICE’s actions pose to the integrity and effectiveness of Philly’s justice system.

Defender Association/Partners For Justice Featured in Philadelphia Citizen

Posted on by GJackson@philadefender.org
Check out this story in the Philadelphia Citizen featuring the work of our Partners for Justice colleagues! Learn more about the partnership here.

 

Chief Defender Congratulates Mayor-Elect Cherelle Parker

Posted on by GJackson@philadefender.org

PHILADELPHIA–“On behalf of the staff and Board of Directors of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, I congratulate Mayor-elect Cherelle Parker on becoming the first woman–and first Black woman–to be elected Mayor of Philadelphia.

 

The Defender Association looks forward to a positive and productive partnership with the Parker administration, as well as our new City Councilmembers, as we work to address the challenges facing our public defenders, clients and communities.

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Defender Statement in Support of HB1410

Posted on by GJackson@philadefender.org

PHILADELPHIA–“Pennsylvania has archaic and overly punitive sentencing laws that have little positive impact on public safety in the Commonwealth. Like most aspects of our judicial system, the harshest impacts are felt by Pennsylvania’s Black and Brown incarcerated population.


“Our experience working in communities teaches us that returning citizens are an incredible resource and source of positive guidance for young people in our neighborhoods. Right now there are around 2,000 commutation-eligible people serving time in Pennsylvania prisons, costing taxpayers millions of dollars every year. By requiring a simple majority of the board to commute sentences, HB1410 will give these citizens a much-needed second chance to show that they are far more valuable at home than behind prison walls.


“The Defender Association of Philadelphia urges the PA Legislature to pass HB1410, and brighten the future for incarcerated people and their families.”

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Keisha Hudson on “Exonerated Justice” Legislation

Posted on by GJackson@philadefender.org
September 14, 2023: Chief Defender Keisha Hudson made the following remarks at a press conference for Councilmember Isaiah Thomas’s “Exonerated Justice” legislation.

 

Entanglements with the justice system often do permanent harm to individuals and their families. For those who are ultimately exonerated, the stigma, pain and anguish caused by the system can remain for a lifetime. 

 

The Defender Association of Philadelphia has always invested heavily in supportive services for our adult and youth clients. The ability to provide these critical services is one reason why a well-funded public defender is so important. We constantly seek to partner with local organizations to leverage existing community resources that will improve outcomes for justice system-involved people at all stages–from arrest, to sentencing, to release.

 

Even though they are just as negatively impacted by the system, exonerated people are too often left out of the conversations about re-entry. We act as if their exoneration is all they need to get their lives back on track. Exonerated Justice would provide a critical, one-stop access to resources and services they need as they reintegrate into their communities. This is particularly important here as, unlike other jurisdictions, the state of Pennsylvania does not provide any financial compensation to those who have been wrongfully convicted. The Exonerated Justice legislation is a welcome and much-needed step toward improving the lives of the wrongfully accused.

 

Our office thanks Councilmember Thomas and his team for once again thinking holistically about how we can mitigate the damage caused by our justice system, and for allowing the Defender Association to share our insights and expertise as we develop solutions. 

 

We look forward to the passage, and ultimate implementation of this legislation, and look forward to working with the City to ensure that we fully acknowledge the harm caused by wrongful convictions, and do everything we can to make things right. 

 

Learn More

 

Press Release: Defender, Partners for Justice Collaboration

Posted on by 2010admin

PHILADELPHIA–The Defender Association of Philadelphia is partnering with national nonprofit Partners for Justice (PFJ) to further expand its practice and take on more extensive wrap-around service capacity in the community. The partnership, which officially began on July 17, will enable the Defender to bring on a team of non-attorney advocates who will help clients navigate and mitigate the damage caused by the criminal legal system, ensuring more people are able to move forward from a criminal case with their futures intact. 

The collaboration between the two organizations began this month when three PFJ client advocates began two-year stints with the Defender Association. The advocates, working within the Defender Association’s juvenile and adult divisions, will assist attorneys with mitigation and aid clients with ancillary matters, from youth mentoring and assistance with school evictions to re-entry work and parole planning. 

“Our partnership with PFJ is critical to our mission to provide client-centered advocacy that not only includes providing legal services, but connecting clients to supportive services and creating pathways to social and economic stability,” said Chief Defender Keisha Hudson.

Partners for Justice was founded in 2018 with a mission to transform public defense and has since expanded to 24 locations across the nation. Philadelphia is PFJ’s second location in the commonwealth, following a 2022 partnership with the Delaware County Public Defender’s Office, and third location regionally with a site in Delaware. Since PFJ was founded, client advocates have connected thousands of clients annually with supportive services and reduced jail time by finding appropriate and effective non-carceral alternatives.

“We’re incredibly excited to collaborate and help the Defender Association level up their already amazing services, said Emily Galvin-Almanza, PFJ’s Founder and co-Executive Director, “Public defenders are most visible as essential front-line workers in our legal system, but looking at the work they actually do—helping folks with housing, employment, substance use and mental health treatment, benefits access—it becomes clear that they’re actually integral to our public safety, public health, and economic infrastructure as well.”

Hudson said Collaborating with PFJ will help the Defender Association achieve its goal of expanding services provided to its child and youth clients. “We were very specific about centering our young clients in our budget request to the City of Philadelphia. Bringing in PFJ Advocates is one of the ways we’re investing the additional resources we received this year from City Council.”

Galvin-Almanza: “When public defenders partner with our Advocates, clients have the resources and tools to break the cycle of poverty, criminalization, and incarceration Investing in public defenders is investing in the safety of our communities and investing in individual prosperity.”

For information about this partnership, read BillyPenn’s coverage here.

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