Flat Funding Will Mean Reductions to Some Services

Flat Funding Will Mean Reductions to Some Services
The current budget will force the Defender Association to reduce programs that help people access treatment and improve public safety

 

PHILADELPHIA, PA–The Defender Association of Philadelphia has notified justice system partners that it will be forced to reduce or eliminate participation in several court programs and services beginning July 1 if the City adopts its proposed FY27 budget that includes a $0 increase for public defense. If passed, the budget would make the Defender Association the only major criminal justice partner not slated to receive a funding increase despite rising demands on the office and its staff.

 

The current budget will force the Defender Association to scale back services that help people access treatment, avoid unnecessary incarceration, clear old criminal records, and successfully navigate the court system.

 

Chief Defender Keisha Hudson said these are not choices her office wants to make. “Many of these programs were created because they make our justice system work better. They help people access treatment, reduce unnecessary jail stays, and connect individuals with opportunities to move forward with their lives,” she said, “But if funding levels don’t rise to match our increasing responsibilities, case- and workloads, we’ll have no choice but to prioritize our fundamental constitutional duties.”

 

Among the changes that would take effect on July 1:

 

  • Reduced staffing for Wellness Court, a program designed to connect participants with treatment and support services.
  • The end of monthly Emergency Bail Hearings, which have helped keep Philadelphia’s jail population at historically low levels by ensuring people are not held in jail longer than necessary.
  • The end of representation at certain expungement proceedings and the suspension of future expungement clinics, which help people clear eligible records that can create barriers to employment, housing, and education.
  • Reduced participation in the Accelerated Misdemeanor Program (AMP), which provides an alternative path for eligible low-level cases.
  • Reductions in representation for certain probation and parole matters.
  • Reduced staffing in some courtrooms and limitations on the office’s ability to accept appointments in additional cases.

 

The Defender Association emphasized that these reductions aren’t a reflection of the importance of these programs, many of which were developed in partnership with the courts, the District Attorney’s Office, city agencies, and community organizations. These are programs designed to improve outcomes for system-involved people, while making the justice system more effective and efficient.

 

“Despite being asked to do more with less, our office for years has stepped up whenever the courts and the city needed us,” Hudson said. “We’ve supported initiatives that reduce incarceration, improve public safety, and help the justice system operate more efficiently. We remain hopeful that City Council and the Mayor’s Office will reconsider this funding decision so that these programs can continue serving the people of Philadelphia.”

 

If the budget passes without changes, the Defender Association will implement these reductions on July 1. Hudson said additional changes to other diversion and treatment-based programs may be necessary in the months ahead.

 

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