Philadelphia City Council / Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform

The Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform of the Council of the City of Philadelphia held a Public Hearing on Monday, October 26, 2020, at 4:30 PM, in a remote manner using Microsoft® Teams to hear testimony on the following items:

200565 Resolution authorizing the City Council Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform to hold public hearings that will serve as a listening session for the public to weigh in on what a new Citizens Police Oversight Commission would look like if approved on the Nov. 3, 2020 General Election.

The Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform of the Council of the City of Philadelphia held a Public Hearing on Friday, October 25, 2019, at 10:00 AM, in Room 400, City Hall, to hear testimony on the following items:

190090 Resolution authorizing the Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform to hold public hearings to examine adequate solutions in addressing the specific needs of incarcerated women.

The Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform of the Council of the City of Philadelphia held a Public Hearing on Monday, December 10, 2018 to hear testimony on the following item:

160101 Resolution appointing members to the "Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform," who will conduct public hearings examining the Philadelphia criminal justice system for the impact of current policies, and offer recommended strategies for reform that are in the best interest of public safety and the public good.

The Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform of the Council of the City of Philadelphia will hold a Public Hearing on Monday, January 29, 2018 in Room 400, City Hall, to hear testimony on the following item:

160101 Resolution appointing members to the "Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform," who will conduct public hearings examining the Philadelphia criminal justice system for the impact of current policies, and offer recommended strategies for reform that are in the best interest of public safety and the public good.

Topic: Addressing the needs and trauma of victims within the criminal justice system.

Panel 1: The Voices of Victims and their Families
Aleida Garcia and Wilfredo Rojas, National Homicide Justice Alliance
Kempis Songster, Former Juvenile Lifer / Returning Citizen
Dorothy Johnson-Speight, Founder - Mothers in Charge
Valerie Todd-Listman, Mothers in Charge

Panel 2: Improving Law Enforcement Relations with Victims
Movita Johnson-Harrell, Interim Supervisor of Victim’s Services – Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office

Panel 3: Services Available to Assist Victims of Crime
Jeffrey Blystone, Victims Compensation Assistance Program
Melany Nelson, Executive Director - Northwest Victim’s Services
Gwendolyn Phillips, Licensed Social Worker – Northwest Victim’s Services

Panel 4: Treating the Trauma of Victimized Youths
Dr. Joel Fein, Co-Director – Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Violence Prevention Initiative
Laura Vega, Violence Prevention Supervisor - Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Violence Intervention Program
Dr. Natalie Stavas, Child Protection Fellow - Safe Place: Center for Child Protection and Health

The Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform of the Council of the City of Philadelphia held a Public Hearing on Friday, November 3, 2017, at 10:00 AM, in Room 400, City Hall, to hear testimony on the following item:

170838 Resolution authorizing the Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform to hold hearings regarding the role of a bail fund in Philadelphia.

Panel #1

Pilar Weiss – Project Director, Brooklyn Bail Fund
Nyssa Taylor – Criminal Justice Policy Counsel, ACLU of Pennsylvania

Panel #2
Rep. Jordan Harris – 186th Legislative District, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Rep. JoAnna McClinton – 191st Legislative District, Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Alan Butkovitz – Controller, City of Philadelphia

Panel 3
Dr. Jaime Henderson - Director of Research and Analysis, First Judicial District
Michael Bouchard - Director of Pretrial Services, First Judicial District
Eric Feder - Office of Judicial Records, First Judicial District

Panel #4

Devren Washington – Black Lives Matter, Philadelphia Community Bail Fund
Jojuan Powell – Bail Fund Recipient
Carlette Golden – Bail Fund Recipient
Reuben Jones – Philadelphia Community Bail Fund, #No215Jail Coalition, Frontline Dads

Panel #5
Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler, Mother Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church & POWER




Committee Co-Chairs:
Kevin Bethel
Keir Bradford-Grey
Curtis Jones Jr. (4th District)

http://phlcouncil.com/CriminalJusticeReform

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross testifies before the Philadelphia City Council Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform about law enforcement relationships with communities and other local efforts to reform the criminal justice system.

View the full hearing here: https://youtu.be/J0TCNzSzu8A

http://phlcouncil.com/CriminalJusticeReform

First meeting of the Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform held Monday, April 18, 2016.

More information: http://phlcouncil.com/CriminalJusticeReform

City Council President Darrell L. Clarke (5th District) on Thursday, February 4, 2016, named a diverse array of community and law enforcement leaders to a Special Committee tasked with overhauling Philadelphia’s criminal justice system.


The co-chairs of the Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reforms are:

Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr. (4th District), chair of the Committee on Public Safety;
Former Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel; and
Keir Bradford-Gray, chief of Philadelphia Defenders Association.

Others named to the Special Committee are:
Councilman Kenyatta Johnson (2nd District);
Ann Schwartzman, Pennsylvania Prison Society; and
Tariq El-Shabazz, Esq., El-Shabazz & Harris, LLC.

More committee appointments, including those at the request of the Kenney Administration, will be made in the coming weeks.