Defender FY 2025 Budget Testimony

Posted on April 17, 2024May 22, 2024 by GJackson@philadefender.org

FY 2025 Budget Request: More resources to support Philly's Youth!

On April 16, 2024, Chief Defender Keisha Hudson & Deputy Defender Sarah Allen testified before City Council about our request for a $15 million budget increase in FY 2025.

These funds would largely be dedicated to hiring more attorneys and social workers for our child and youth clients, as well as salary increases to bring our attorneys to parity with other city agencies.

Read the full budget testimony here

Download budget request slides

Support Letters for Philly Defenders Budget Proposal

The Defender Association is grateful for the amazing support we've received from our community partners, elected officials and other organizations working toward a better justice system, and public safety for all!

Community Support letter: over 20 organizations added their names to a letter in support of a budget increase for the work we do with justice system-involved children and youth.

Read the letter here

Philadelphia Bar Association letter: Thanks to the Philadelphia Bar Association for supporting our attorneys and the work we do all year round. We especially appreciate their support of our budget request

Read the Philly Bar Association's letter here.

Follow us: @PhillyDefenders

Celebrated #PhillyDefenders this week with a sweet ice cream social for National Ice Cream Day! 🍦 Thanks for all your hard work.

Huge thanks to @phillyscoopdeville and @siddiqswaterice for the tasty treats and for helping us keep cool. ✨

Jul 25

Celebrated #PhillyDefenders this week with a sweet ice cream social for National Ice Cream Day! 🍦 Thanks for all your hard work.

Huge thanks to @phillyscoopdeville and @siddiqswaterice for the tasty treats and for helping us keep cool. ✨

Chief Defender @khudson_phillydefender, speaks out about plans to close Philly’s Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC). These changes could put our kids through traumatic arrest processes and place additional burdens on police officers. We need to focus on trauma-informed practices and support from experienced social workers to truly help our youth.

🔗 in bio to read the @phillyinquirer story and #Phillydefenders statement
#JuvenileJustice #YouthAdvocacy #TraumaInformed #PhillyDefenders #KeishaHudson #philly #phillynews #jac #philkyreform #phillyyouth #phillyreels #criminaljustice

Jul 24

Chief Defender @khudson_phillydefender, speaks out about plans to close Philly’s Juvenile Assessment Center (JAC). These changes could put our kids through traumatic arrest processes and place additional burdens on police officers. We need to focus on trauma-informed practices and support from experienced social workers to truly help our youth.

🔗 in bio to read the @phillyinquirer story and #Phillydefenders statement
#JuvenileJustice #YouthAdvocacy #TraumaInformed #PhillyDefenders #KeishaHudson #philly #phillynews #jac #philkyreform #phillyyouth #phillyreels #criminaljustice

#Phillydefenders is looking for young changemakers (18-23) to join our Youth Action Board (YAB)! ✊🏽 Be part of a team looking to lift up voices and making real changes for young people going through the foster system.

🔗 in our bio for more details and membership application!
#Youthjustice #justicesystemreform #ChangeMakers #philly #phillyjobs #phillyyouth #phillynews #youthactionboard #phillyreform

Jul 24

#Phillydefenders is looking for young changemakers (18-23) to join our Youth Action Board (YAB)! ✊🏽 Be part of a team looking to lift up voices and making real changes for young people going through the foster system.

🔗 in our bio for more details and membership application!
#Youthjustice #justicesystemreform #ChangeMakers #philly #phillyjobs #phillyyouth #phillynews #youthactionboard #phillyreform

Happy Foreign Language Month! ‼️

#PhillyDefenders Jose Yepes and Andreina Carrasquero share the importance of Latine representation in criminal justice. 💡✨

Thanks to our Employee Engagement Committee for putting together such a great panel on the impact of interpretation on our clients’ cases and the need for interpretation in criminal justice.

#LanguageMatters #JusticeForAll #latino #phillylatinos #latinosincriminaljustice #foreign-language #foreignlanguagemonth #philly #phillynews #phillyreform #Phillyreels #EEC #Inclusion

Jul 23

Happy Foreign Language Month! ‼️

#PhillyDefenders Jose Yepes and Andreina Carrasquero share the importance of Latine representation in criminal justice. 💡✨

Thanks to our Employee Engagement Committee for putting together such a great panel on the impact of interpretation on our clients’ cases and the need for interpretation in criminal justice.

#LanguageMatters #JusticeForAll #latino #phillylatinos #latinosincriminaljustice #foreign-language #foreignlanguagemonth #philly #phillynews #phillyreform #Phillyreels #EEC #Inclusion

Our justice system must come together to safely reduce Philly’s jail population. Our latest policy statement has recommendations for improving health and safety conditions in our prisons, and create a better environment for incarcerated men and women, as well as employees at the jails.

With collaboration and commitment from our entire #justicesystem, we can ease the strain on our jails without compromising public safety. 🏛️📑 #PrisonReform #PhillyDefenders #phillyreform #philly #phillynews #defenders #prisonreform #prisonconditions #PA

To read our full policy statement, click the 🔗 in our bio.

Jul 17

Our justice system must come together to safely reduce Philly’s jail population. Our latest policy statement has recommendations for improving health and safety conditions in our prisons, and create a better environment for incarcerated men and women, as well as employees at the jails.

With collaboration and commitment from our entire #justicesystem, we can ease the strain on our jails without compromising public safety. 🏛️📑 #PrisonReform #PhillyDefenders #phillyreform #philly #phillynews #defenders #prisonreform #prisonconditions #PA

To read our full policy statement, click the 🔗 in our bio.

Returning citizens often face challenges even after being pardoned‼️

Our social workers create community-based treatment plans to address these needs. We provide timely referrals to services like employment, counseling, re-entry programs, and more. 💡✨

Check out our full list of resources by clicking the link in our bio. 🔗 #CommunitySupport #ReEntry #SupportServices #philly #phillyreform #phillynews #phillydefenders #phillyreels #pardons #expungements #reentry #reentryprogram

Jul 16

Returning citizens often face challenges even after being pardoned‼️

Our social workers create community-based treatment plans to address these needs. We provide timely referrals to services like employment, counseling, re-entry programs, and more. 💡✨

Check out our full list of resources by clicking the link in our bio. 🔗 #CommunitySupport #ReEntry #SupportServices #philly #phillyreform #phillynews #phillydefenders #phillyreels #pardons #expungements #reentry #reentryprogram

🚨 New Tool Alert!🚨
PhillyDefenders #PoliceAccountability Unit is excited to launch the Driving Equality Dashboard, your go-to for REAL information about police vehicle stops in Philly!

The dashboard breaks down traffic stops by race, the reasons police give for stops, traffic stops by police district, and real data on how increases or decreases in stops correlate with the number of shootings in Philly neighborhoods. Check out the 🔗 in bio!
#DrivingEquality #PhillyDefenders #KnowYourRights #StayInformed #JusticeSystemReform #data

Jul 11

🚨 New Tool Alert!🚨
PhillyDefenders #PoliceAccountability Unit is excited to launch the Driving Equality Dashboard, your go-to for REAL information about police vehicle stops in Philly!

The dashboard breaks down traffic stops by race, the reasons police give for stops, traffic stops by police district, and real data on how increases or decreases in stops correlate with the number of shootings in Philly neighborhoods. Check out the 🔗 in bio!
#DrivingEquality #PhillyDefenders #KnowYourRights #StayInformed #JusticeSystemReform #data

🎬✨ An incredible afternoon at #Phillydefenders! We had a fantastic turnout for our special CLE session, featuring Shuja Moore’s award-winning film, “Pardon Me.” 🍿🎥

The discussions surrounding the pardon process and delicious movie theater snacks made it an event to remember. Huge s/o to Shuja Moore for leading a great panel discussion with our Philly Defender attorneys and staff.

#CLE #FilmScreening #PardonMe #LegalCommunity #PanelDiscussion #PublicDefense #JusticeSystemReform

Jul 9

🎬✨ An incredible afternoon at #Phillydefenders! We had a fantastic turnout for our special CLE session, featuring Shuja Moore’s award-winning film, “Pardon Me.” 🍿🎥

The discussions surrounding the pardon process and delicious movie theater snacks made it an event to remember. Huge s/o to Shuja Moore for leading a great panel discussion with our Philly Defender attorneys and staff.

#CLE #FilmScreening #PardonMe #LegalCommunity #PanelDiscussion #PublicDefense #JusticeSystemReform

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#Phillydefenders is looking for young changemakers (18-23) to join our Youth Action Board (YAB)! ✊🏽 Be part of a team looking to lift up voices and making real changes for young people going through the foster system.
Hit the 🔗 to apply !

Join Our Youth Action Board!

The Youth Action Board is a youth-led collective that aims to amplify the voices of older youth who have experienced the foster system.

phillydefenders.org

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Want a better justice system and safer communities? Fund #publicdefense! Read the @Newsweek op ed from @K_Nicole_Hudson and Manohar Raju 👇🏾👇🏾
@BPDA_justice @NLADA

Funding Public Defense Furthers Community Safety | Opinion

If locking folks up and giving them long sentences worked, we would have the safest society in the world.

www.newsweek.com

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Our office and the Philly courts are closed today (July 19) due to the global Microsoft/internet outage. We’ll re-open on Monday. Hit the 🔗 for more info on the outage.

Technology outage disrupts companies around the world; flights at Philadelphia International...

A global technology outage grounded flights, knocked banks offline and media outlets off air on Friday.

www.inquirer.com

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Our latest policy statement has recommendations for improving health and safety conditions in our prisons, and create a better environment for incarcerated men and women. Read Full policy below:

Policy Statement: Prison Population Reduction Post-Remick

The Defender Association recommends strategies to decrease reliance on county incarceration for public safety.

phillydefenders.org

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