Welcome Home! You have been released from jail. But now what? Here are some practical tips to help you navigate your open case.
Continue reading “What to Do if You’re Released During COVID-19”
Category: Community Partnerships
Philly Defender Q&A: COVID-19 Emergency
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Philly’s public defenders know that our clients, their families, and friends are extremely concerned about their health during this pandemic. We’re still doing our best to represent and ensure the health and safety of our clients and our communities, and are working hard to provide you with as much information as we can during these uncertain and stressful times.
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What is the status of Philly’s Courts?
Philly’s Courts have begun the process of re-opening, with a number of new restrictions and procedures in place. Things are changing quickly, and the Defender is doing our best to keep track of these changes, and keep you informed. Click here for the latest status on court hearings during the pandemic
What are the Defender’s office hours during the COVID-19 emergency?
Our offices are open, but clients who wish to come in for interviews or other meetings must make an appointment with an attorney in advance.
Our hours are Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
I have a court date scheduled. What should I do?
Depending on the type of hearing, you may not be required to appear in court. Click here for an updated status of Philly’s courts.
My loved one has a medical condition that makes them vulnerable to the coronavirus. What should I do?
If you know someone in prison with serious health concerns, please email us right away at contact@philadefender.org. Be sure to include the person’s name, date of birth, PP# and any important details, so our Prison Services Unit can look up their case.
My loved one is incarcerated, but not in a Philadelphia county jail. Can the Defender help them?
Unfortunately, we have very little information or solutions for people held in state or federal custody, or those held in local jails outside of the city of Philadelphia. If you have questions about Governor Wolf’s reprieve order that can help some people in PA state custody, please find more information here.
However, we may be able to help if your loved one has a case in the Philly courts, even if they are being held outside of our jurisdiction. Fill out our online information form if you’re not sure about your loved one’s status.
I have an open case in Philly. How do I know if I’m being represented by a public defender?
If you have an open case in Philly but are unsure whether you are represented by the Defender Association or by a different attorney, you can search by name on this website for your docket to find your attorney and get more information on your case. Whether represented by us or another defense attorney, you can get support on your case or for your loved one by attending weekly online meetings at these community-led Participatory Defense Hubs in Philadelphia.
I have another question about myself or a loved one. Who can answer my question while your office is closed?
We have an online information form you can fill out by clicking here. Defender staff is monitoring your questions and assigning them to the appropriate attorney or department.
As you know, people are extremely stressed about the health of their loved ones at this time. We’re getting a lot of questions through this form, so we ask for your patience as we review each question and work to get it the person who can help.
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Here are some additional information pages that may help you:
What to do if a loved one is incarcerated during the pandemic
What you should know about pretrial supervision during the pandemic
Defender COVID-19 Information Request Form
Defender Frequently Asked Questions
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COVID-19 in Philly’s Jails
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In Philly’s jails, the threat posed by pandemics like COVID-19 is not limited to those behind their walls. Corrections officers, administrators and health workers come and go on a daily basis, in addition to the inmates who are released because they make bail or have served their sentence.
For example, New York City’s jail, Riker’s Island, shows how jails allow the virus to spread throughout the community: 180 inmates have tested positive but so have 141 corrections officers and an additional 23 healthcare workers which means that almost half of the people infected are not inmates and have been spreading the virus outside of the jail.
Jail population reduction is the only way to prevent the death of those at highest risk, or spreading it to our communities. It is not possible for county jails to implement the most critical preventive measures set forth in the CDC Guidance: social distancing, preventive hygiene, and the medical isolation of confirmed or suspected COVID-19 cases.
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Click here to view the complete data graphs and information sources.
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The Philadelphia jails are now the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic in Philadelphia. With 39 cases in a population of just 4,357, the Philadelphia jails have a higher infection rate (8.95 per 1,000 people) than any zip code in Philadelphia.
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The infection rate in Philly’s jails’is 4.71 times the rate of Philadelphia as a whole and over 11 times the rate of Pennsylvania. In fact, the Philadelphia jails’ infection rate has now surpassed that of some of the hardest-hit areas across the globe, including New York City, Lombardy, Italy, and, Wuhan, China.
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Click here to view the complete data graphs and information sources.
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Defender, DAO Call for More Progressive Action to Fight Spread of COVID-19
District Attorney Larry Krasner and Chief Defender Keir Bradford-Grey issued the following joint statement calling on the First Judicial District to move more aggressively to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks in the criminal justice system:
PHILADELPHIA– “The Defender Association of Philadelphia and the District Attorney’s Office are glad that the First Judicial District is finally ready to do expedited reviews of specific categories for release from jail. But neither the number of cases nor the timeline proposed by the FJD will be enough to significantly reduce the jail population enough to stop the spread of COVID-19 in our jails and prisons.
“Our efforts to safely reduce our jail population began in early March when we met with the courts to express our concern about the pandemic. Since then, the Defender and the DAO have worked together to identify seven categories of inmates who could potentially be released from jail without impacting public safety, including people who are being held for technical violations of probation; people who have already served their minimum sentence; and people who are detained on less than $50,000 bail.
“Those charged with sex offenses, crimes of violence, including gun offenses, and the sale of drugs weren’t included in our proposals.
“The FJD has agreed to review cases in just three categories, amounting to about 7% of the jail population, and won’t begin hearings until next Tuesday. Our proposal would have granted immediate case reviews for more than 2,000 incarcerated people, nearly half of the jail population, which would allow for the social distancing necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“Other jurisdictions have worked far more aggressively to reduce their jail populations. Over the last two weeks, Kentucky has seen a state-wide reduction in jail inmates of 28% and the 15 largest counties in Colorado have reduced their jail population by 31%. Even the troubled Riker’s Island’s jail population is below 5,000 — roughly equivalent to ours, although New York is home to five times as many people. Meanwhile, Philadelphia has seen only a 5% reduction since courts were closed on March 17th.
“Our efforts to safely reduce our jail population began in early March when we met with the courts to express our concern about the pandemic. Since then, the Defender and the DAO have worked together to identify seven categories of inmates who could potentially be released from jail without impacting public safety, including people who are being held for technical violations of probation; people who have already served their minimum sentence; and people who are detained on less than $50,000 bail.
“Those charged with sex offenses, crimes of violence, including gun offenses, and the sale of drugs weren’t included in our proposals.
“The FJD has agreed to review cases in just three categories, amounting to about 7% of the jail population, and won’t begin hearings until next Tuesday. Our proposal would have granted immediate case reviews for more than 2,000 incarcerated people, nearly half of the jail population, which would allow for the social distancing necessary to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“Other jurisdictions have worked far more aggressively to reduce their jail populations. Over the last two weeks, Kentucky has seen a state-wide reduction in jail inmates of 28% and the 15 largest counties in Colorado have reduced their jail population by 31%. Even the troubled Riker’s Island’s jail population is below 5,000 — roughly equivalent to ours, although New York is home to five times as many people. Meanwhile, Philadelphia has seen only a 5% reduction since courts were closed on March 17th.
“Though we often find ourselves on different sides of the courtroom, the District Attorney’s Office and the Defender Association are united by our commitment to do all that we can to prevent unnecessary suffering and death due to a global pandemic that threatens every one of us. Walls, bars, and borders mean nothing to this coronavirus. In order to protect as many Philadelphians as possible from COVID-19, our courts must take immediate and bold action and become part of ongoing comprehensive and collaborative public health and safety efforts.”
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COVID 19: What to Do if a Loved One is Incarcerated
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Communicating With People in Custody
People who are incarcerated in PA State facilities or Philadelphia County Jails may still communicate, according to standard policies, by telephone, email and US mail. The DOC also announced that people housed in the state facilities will be given 5 free phone calls and be permitted to send emails at no cost to them.
Visiting People in Custody
People who are incarcerated in PA State facilities or Philadelphia County Jails may still visit with their attorneys and Prison Society’s official visitors so long as both the incarcerated person and attorney or official visitor satisfactorily pass a medical screening. All other face to face visits with people who are incarcerated have been suspended. People can sign up for 45 minute video visits with their loved ones who are in state prison on the Department of Correction website www.cor.pa.gov
Requesting and Official Prison Visitor
If you have concerns about the conditions of confinement where your loved one is housed, the Prison Society may be able to help. Visit www.prisonsociety.org or email PPSOVRequest@gmail.com to see if an official visit is appropriate. Please note that due to the volume of requests, Prison Society may not be able to respond to everyone.
Attorney Assistance
Although the Defender Association office is currently closed to the public, our management team is working with system stakeholders to facilitate a process to safely maximize release during this unprecedented health crisis. We continue to identify clients who may be eligible for release and represent people unable to post bail during Early Bail Review hearings. This is understandably a fluid situation and there are no clear guidelines to follow. But we continue to do everything we can to protect the health and safety of our clients in custody.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
Pre-Entry Coalition Partners
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Click here for more information on the Pre-Entry Coalition
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Service Provider Directory
Click on a service category below to find a list of Pre-Entry Coalition organizations.
Click here for a printable directory
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Click here for more information on the Pre-Entry Coalition
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Shop Talk Series
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About Shop Talk
Philadelphia has an existing network of barbershops owned by credible community leaders, who have partnered with the Defender Association’s Children & Youth Justice (CYJ) Unit to bring various programs and services directly to these communities through a series of public events known as “Shop Talk”
These events are staffed by Defender attorneys, Defender social service advocates, community partners, Participatory Defense Hub facilitators and many more groups and organizations that support the initiatives.
Shop Talk events are held on location in barbershops and can include a range of programs, including (but not limited to):
- Expungements,
- Connection to local Participatory Defense Hubs;
- Social service resources;
- Information on the pardon process;
- One-on-one consultations with a Defender attorney,
- Statute training,
- Know Your Rights and Know Your Systems training; and
- Drop-in community-based office hours.
CYJ also invites community-based organizations dedicated to the reduction of mass incarceration, Pre-Entry, Participatory Defense, the reduction of gun violence and continued education.to set up information tables at Shop Talk events. These include mentor programs; housing and employment organizations; after school programs; sports programs; creative writing workshops; behavioral health providers; mental health providers; and re-entry organizations.
The barbershop owners are also critical, credible advocates who have worked to connect community members who otherwise might not reach out to the Defender with the services we provide. Our partnership with these barbershop owners is critical to building community trust and establishing the Defender Association’s reputation for fierce community advocacy and trial attorneys that the community can rely on in their moments of need.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/3″ css=”.vc_custom_1581018241775{margin-top: 15px !important;margin-right: 15px !important;margin-bottom: 15px !important;margin-left: 15px !important;border-top-width: 1px !important;border-right-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;border-left-width: 1px !important;padding-top: 20px !important;padding-right: 20px !important;padding-bottom: 20px !important;padding-left: 20px !important;background-color: #eeeeee !important;border-left-color: #1e73be !important;border-left-style: solid !important;border-right-color: #1e73be !important;border-right-style: solid !important;border-top-color: #1e73be !important;border-top-style: solid !important;border-bottom-color: #1e73be !important;border-bottom-style: solid !important;border-radius: 1px !important;}”][vc_column_text]
Upcoming Shop Talks
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Pre-entry Initiative
[vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” css=”.vc_custom_1580156790956{background-color: #eeeeee !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Pre-entry Coalition”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row”][vc_column][vc_column_text]The Defender is working with community groups to provide social supports that address non-criminalgenic behavoirs that negatively impact their experience with the justice system. [/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Overview: What is pre-entry?[/vc_column_text][vc_video][/vc_column_inner][vc_column_inner width=”1/2″][vc_column_text]Pre-entry coalition launch, December , 2019[/vc_column_text][vc_video][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row” css=”.vc_custom_1580156790956{background-color: #eeeeee !important;}”][vc_column][vc_custom_heading text=”Pretrial and Bail Reform”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width=”stretch_row”][vc_column][vc_column_text]In March 2019, the Defender Association of Philadelphia presented a way to eliminate money bail in Philadelphia, without using a risk-assessment tool, to the FJD, the District Attorney and City Council
Using the Defender’s process, most defendants charged with misdemeanors would be arrested but, instead of going through a bail hearing, would receive a summons to appear in court.
Philadelphia is the only county in the state that does not already use the summons process for lower-level offenses.
Read the Inquirer story here | Download our proposal for pretrial reform
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Defender Association Receives $25k for Participatory Defense Hubs
PHILADELPHIA–The Defender Association of Philadelphia has been awarded a $25,000 from the R.K. Mellon Family Foundation to support the work of Philadelphia’s Participatory Defense Hubs. The award follows a $100,000 Key to Community grant from the Malinda R. Farrow Fund of the Philadelphia Foundation that was awarded following a public vote.
“Winning these awards is a big deal because it shows that foundations, the public, and other charitable funding sources are starting to recognize the value of participatory defense programs,” said Chief Defender Keir Bradford-Grey, “This continues the momentum to make the case to the public and elected officials.”
Launched in 2018, Philadelphia’s participatory defense hubs utilize community support to prepare and empower individuals and families as they navigate the criminal justice system. The hubs’ trained volunteers and facilitators give people a deeper understanding of what is expected from them at each stage of the criminal justice process, including meetings with their attorney, court dates, and other critical steps. Philly currently has seven neighborhood-based hubs that meet weekly.
“Our Participatory Defense Hubs are mostly run by volunteers who are extending themselves to help their neighbors navigate the criminal justice system,” said Martha Williams, a leader of the Philly Hubs, “These funds will give our Hubs more resources to help us provide knowledge and support to even more people in our community.”
The funds from the R.K. Mellon Family Foundation will be managed by the Defender Association, who will disburse them directly to support the Participatory Defense Hubs.
“These community-based hubs are already making a huge difference in people’s lives. These funds will help them boost the impact they’re already having in their neighborhoods,” said Bradford-Grey, “It’s a testament to what can happen when we work together to highlight the importance of participatory defense for just outcomes in the criminal justice system.”
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