►
From YouTube: Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform 10-25-2019
Description
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.
A
All
right,
that's
much
better.
We
are.
This
is
a
hearing
call
to
water.
We
are
reconvening
the
Special
Committee
on
criminal
justice
reform
and
I
recognize
the
presence
of
a
quorum
of
members
of
the
committee.
Miss
Williams.
Will
you
please
read
the
title
of
the
resolution
and
the
members
of
the
committee
who
are
present.
B
Resolution
number
one:
nine:
zero,
zero,
nine
zero;
a
resolution
authorizing
the
Special
Committee
on
criminal
justice
reform
to
hold
public
hearings
to
examine
adequate
solutions
and
addressing
the
specific
needs
of
incarcerated
women
committee
members
who
are
present
starting
from
my
left
or
Claire
shubik
Richards
of
the
Pennsylvania
prison
society.
We
have
real
Fredo
Rojas.
A
A
I
am
thankful
for
the
members
of
the
committee.
We
don't
wake
up
as
experts
on
criminal
justice
reform.
We
through
our
experiences
and
working
with
people
like
you,
learn
from
you,
and
that
is
the
purpose
of
today,
to
learn
from
you
and
to
take
that
information
and
apply
it
taking
that
information
and
apply
it
not
only
to
our
policies
that
and
laws
that
we
create
both
at
the
state
level
and
at
the
city
level,
but
also
our
budgetary
priorities.
A
One
of
the
things
that
we
get
to
do
is
a
through
this
bully
pulpit
talk
about
an
issue.
Second
thing
we
get
to
do
is
evaluate
that
issue,
as
it
relates
to
the
standards
of
our
policies
and
how
we
apply
and
address
that
issue.
And
finally,
we
appropriate
we
appropriate
through
departments
like
the
the
prisons
and
others
and
courts,
so
that
we
put
our
money
where
our
mouth
is
and
we
hope
to
continue
that
strive
and
I'm.
Very
happy
and
I
acknowledge
my
co
convener
here
today.
She
needs
no
introduction
star
of.
A
C
What's
driving
the
behaviors
has
been
transformative
in
our
prison
system
and
we're
lucky
to
have
her
so
I
want
to
make
sure
that
I
gave
a
special
shout
out
to
her,
because
we've
worked
with
her
since
I've,
been
the
chief
defender
and
I've
never
had
a
prison
commissioner,
so
open
and
so
willing
to
do
things
differently
than
what
was
done
in
the
past.
So
thank
you
so
much
for
your
leadership
and
I'm
really
glad
that
you're
here
and.
A
D
B
A
E
A
B
Good
morning
councilmembers
and
members
of
the
Special
Committee
on
criminal
justice
reform,
my
name
is
faith.
Bartley
I
am
the
lead
fellow
member
of
the
people's
paper.
Coop
I
am
here
on
behalf
of
both
incarcerated
and
formerly
incarcerated
women.
Those
who
can
be
will
be
here
with
us
and
those
who
cannot
today
we're
going
to
present
you
with
a
beautiful
and
powerful
poem
written
by
over
100
filled
off
your
women,
who
have
been
greatly
impacted
and
affected
by
the
criminal
justice
system,
a
poem
that
expresses
what
we
need
to
throb,
not
just
survive.
B
B
F
B
Means
we
can't
joyfully
walk
strongly
through
our
communities,
sharing
our
voices,
life
skills
and
experience
that
were
perishing
from
thirst.
It
means
that
families
are
broken
apart,
that
we're
suffering
from
mental
anguish,
that
our
futures
are
being
interrupted,
that
this
system
is
creating
the
next
generation
of
possible
criminals.
The
nest
is
crumbling.
We
don't
live
it.
We,
the
women,
are
the
queen
bees.
So
when
you
lock
us
up.
F
F
B
Take
away
our
chance
to
thrive
our
ability
to
nature
under
our
loved
ones,
time
to
talk
with
our
children,
about
their
dreams
and
their
nightmares.
Our
power
to
show
compassion
and
give
us
a
point
because
I
was
incarcerated.
I
wasn't
there
to
give
my
mother
the
encouragement
and
support
she
needed,
while
going
through
chemo
to
stand
up
for
my
family
to
help
raise
my
offering
to
take
my
little
cousin
the
school,
to
pay
respect
to
my
grandma
when
she.
B
Ask
my
children
about
their
day
and
help
them
with
their
lives
and
homework
the
voice,
mapping
to
help
other
women
see
their
strengths
to
make
the
community
grow,
so
be
an
audience
when
my
daughter
got
her
master's
degree
and
to
let
her
know
how
proud
I
am
of
her
to
coach.
My
special
needs
baseball
team
to
give
my
sisters
and
my
brothers
the
love
they
needed
to
care
and
guide
my
two
daughters
and
difficulties
they
faced.
B
They
were
alone
without
me
as
their
protector
and
hero
I
stand
up
for
women
because
it
feels
like
we're
all
we
had
if
you
hill
women,
you'll
Hill
the
nation,
because
we
are
the
bricks
to
build
our
own
foundations
and
I
know
how
it
feels
to
be
held
there
and
need
to
help.
Oh
because
daddy's,
maybe
mommy's
baby,
because
if
I
don't
who
will?
Because
when
we
come
together
in
unity,
we
can
move
mountains.
B
B
A
A
I
Please
I
appreciate
that
good
morning,
I
am
state
representative,
Morgan,
Cephas
and
I
served
the
192nd
legislative
district,
which
is
in
West
Philadelphia
up
in
the
PA
Commonwealth
General
Assembly,
so
I,
first
and
foremost
want
to
thank
the
people's
people.
Coop
I
want
to
thank
all
of
the
formerly
incarcerated
women
that
are
able
here
that
are
able
to
testify
here
today
we
oftentimes
and
the
criminal
justice
reform.
I
Conversation
are
oftentimes,
looking
at
it
from
a
male
lens,
and
we
oftentimes
forget
the
the
impact
that
this
has
on
our
women
and
not
just
our
women
but
their
families.
Our
mothers,
our
sisters,
our
cousins
and
I,
feel
like
this.
This
conversation
today
is
extremely
timely
and
I
want
to
thank
the
committee
for
allowing
us
to
have
this
discussion
again.
Thank
you
for
having
us
here
today.
I
My
hope
is
that
today's
testimony
and
conversation
will
lead
to
intentional
policies,
legislation
and
social
action
that
support
dignity
for
our
incarcerated
women
in
Philadelphia,
but
also
across
the
Commonwealth.
Thank
you
to
the
special
committee
on
criminal
justice
reform
for
having
this
important
conversation
and
my
role
as
chair
of
the
Pennsylvania
legislative,
Black,
Caucus
Subcommittee.
I
On
women
and
girls
of
color
I
am
committed
to
ensuring
that
women
and
girls,
especially
women
and
girls
of
color,
are
not
left
out
of
the
much-needed
conversations,
reformed
policy
and
cultural
shifts
that
we
are
demanding
in
our
overall
criminal
justice
system
to
put
things
into
context.
Women
are
the
fastest-growing
population
segment
of
America's
incarcerated
population
between
1970
and
2014.
There
were
was
a
nearly
fivefold
increase
in
the
number
of
people,
men
and
women
in
u.s.
jails,
according
to
a
report
from
the
Vera
Institute
of
Justice
and
the
safety
justice
challenge.
I
During
that
same
time
frame,
there
was
a
14
fold
increase
in
the
number
of
women
in
jails
nationwide
growing
from
8,000
women
in
jails
in
1970
to
nearly
a
hundred
and
ten
thousand
and
2014
like
men
in
jail.
These
women
are
disproportionately
people
of
color,
overwhelmingly
poor
in
low-income
survivors
of
violence
and
trauma
and
have
high
rates
of
physical
and
mental
illness
and
substance
use,
and
nearly
80%
of
them
are
mothers,
primary
caregivers
and
single
parents
to
young
children.
I
The
unique
needs
of
primary
caregivers
as
a
state
legislature
I
believe
that
it
is
essential
for
us
to
hold
the
system
that
serves
these
populations
accountable
for
addressing
distinctive
needs,
a
benefit
that
impacts,
rehabilitation
and
development
and
which
contributes
to
overall,
safer
communities.
Two
of
the
first
issues
that
I
came
across
concerning
dignity
for
incarcerated
women
were
related
to
inhumane
shackling
of
women
in
labor
and
lack
of
access
to
female
hygiene
products.
I
It
is
the
stories
of
women
with
lived
experiences
inside
and
outside
of
prison
walls
that
might
haunt
you
ones
like
that
of
Mary
Baxter,
who
has
repeatedly
shared
her
experience
of
giving
birth
while
shackled
and
was
then
placed
in
solitary
confinement
post
delivery,
because
the
facility
in
which
she
was
housed
had
nowhere
else
to
put
her
and
nowhere
else
to
place.
Someone
in
her
condition
across
the
country.
States
like
New,
Jersey,
Connecticut
and
Kentucky
are
stepping
up
to
the
plate
to
ensure
female
prisoners
have
access
to
the
resources
they
need,
while
incarcerated
and
upon
release.
I
It
is
evident
that
legislators
are
taking
responsibility,
taking
responsibility
to
one
give
these
populations
the
dignity
they
deserve,
as
people
and
two
to
contribute
to
their
growth
and
success
upon
reentry.
Both
points,
backed
by
evidence
that
shows
the
positive
impact.
This
access
has
on
recidivism
rates,
lower
crime
rates
and
least
expectantly
the
development
and
success
of
our
next
generation.
The
great
thing
is
that
often
times
in
Harrisburg,
where
we
have
a
Republican
majority,
we
aren't
able
to
get
a
lot
of
these
issues
tackled
and
a
lot
of
a
lot
of
these
policies
implemented.
I
But
the
great
thing
is
that
we
have
a
very
progressive
Philadelphia
City
with
progressive
leaders
like
our
prison
commissioner.
So
when
we
have
conversations
about
lack
of
feminine
hygiene
products
and
shackling
here
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
we
are
giving
we
are
doing
it
right
and
I
want
to
especially
acknowledge
our
prison
Commissioner
for
taking
the
strides
and
beating
and
being
a
leading
example
of
a
system
that
many
counties
need
to
follow
here
in
the
Commonwealth
of
Pennsylvania.
So
I
do
want
to
thank
her
for
that.
I
But
I
also
want
to
recognize
that
there's
so
much
more
that
we
could
be
doing
within
our
prison
systems
and
I'm.
Looking
forward
to
having
this
conversation,
some
of
the
some
of
the
budgetary
things
that
we've
introduced
again
try
to
address
the
low
quality
of
life
of
our
prisoners
is
possibly
providing
free
monthly
phone
calls
to
incarcerated
parents
that
our
primary
caregivers
or
creating
a
former
inmate
mentoring
program
requiring
health
screening
reporting
so
to
ensure
that
our
women
are
staying
healthy,
while
they're
in
prison.
I
There's
a
series
of
bills
that
again
we
are
proposing
up
in
Harrisburg,
but
again
sometimes
we
are
often
stalled
because
of
our
political,
divisive,
miss
but
again,
I
feel
like
Philadelphia
is
uniquely
positioned
to
not
only
just
have
the
criminal
justice
reform
conversation,
but
to
put
policies
and
legislation
in
place
that
will
again
keep
us
at
the
forefront
of
this
conversation
as
it
relates
to
protecting
our
women
so
I.
Thank
you
again
for
all
of
the
partners.
I
Again,
all
of
our
incarcerated
women
that
are
fighting
the
fight
and
trying
to
be
a
leading
example
to
protect
those
that
they
leave
behind
after
they
leave
those
walls
so
I.
Thank
you
again
for
having
this
conversation
and
I
look
forward
to
what
we
produce
as
a
result
of
today's
discussion
representing.
A
We
don't
know
your
time
needs,
so
we
are
as
a
committee.
What
we
usually
do
is
we
let
the
entire
panel
testify
and
then
engage
and
questioning,
but
because
you
might
have
to
do
other
things
we,
the
Commonwealth
we'd
like
to
pose
questions
to
you
now
and
also
want
to
recognize
the
third
co-chair,
Kevin
Bethel
who
has
joined
us.
Thank.
C
You
so
much
for
your
testimony,
representative
Cephas
I
wanted
to
ask
a
couple
questions.
First
of
all,
is
anyone
kind
of
looking
at
the?
Why
what's
driving
this
thing,
flux
of
women
going
into
systems
that
we
see
now
in
such
a
mass?
You
know
trend
I,
know
for
me,
working
at
the
defender
association.
We
kind
of
saw
this
coming
a
while
ago,
when
men
were
being
taking
on
the
households,
the
primary
caretaker
and
they
were
given
long,
lengthy
harsh
sentences.
C
Secondly,
I
know
there
was,
is
usually
a
failure
to
recognize
some
women
as
victim
and
offender
when
they
become
you
know
when
they
get
on
my
end
of
the
of
the
criminal
justice
system.
Recently,
we
had
conversations
with
our
district
attorney
mr.
Krasner,
about
looking
at
women
who
have
had
an
enormous
amount
of
trauma
and
domestic
violence
who
were
charged
themselves
with
domestic
violence
and
creating
a
diversionary
program.
For
that,
when
there
was
information
that
showed
that
they
had
been
subject
to
abuse,
mr.
Krasner
was
all
for
it.
C
However,
the
funding
that
we
tried
to
apply
for
through
harrisburg
would
not
be
available
to
people
who
were
now
being
charged
with
a
crime,
even
though
they
had
that
past
label
of
victim.
Is
there
anything
that
we
were
looking
at
in
Harrisburg?
That
makes
this
that
recognizes
this
dual
victimization
as
well
as
I.
C
Guess,
if
you
want
to
call
it,
people
that
are
perpetrating
criminal
activity,
understanding
that
a
person
is
the
whole
person
and
sometimes
the
criminal
activity
is
a
symptom
of
the
issues
that
have
been
going
on
for
a
while
and
I've
been
unaddressed,
and
when
they
come
into
this
system,
can
we
treat
them
as
both
and
are
there
funding
that
could
be
available?
That
would
recognize
that
door
so.
I
A
I
One
of
the
bills
that
we're
offering
is
to
require
PCC
D,
the
Pennsylvania
Commission
on
crime
and
delinquency
to
establish
a
subcommittee
that
focuses
particularly
on
the
women
women
that
are
incarcerated,
women
that
are
in
our
pipelines
and
to
again
address
those
issues
that
you
are
raising
again
we're
oftentimes
looking
at
it
from
a
male
perspective.
So
we
don't.
Let
don't
really
know
what
the
statistics
are
as
to
why
women
are
coming
more
into
our
prisons.
But
we
do
see
that
they're
coming
in
with
mental
health
issues.
I
We
do
see
that
eighty
percent
of
the
women
have
experienced
some
type
of
sexual
trauma
and
again
back
to
one
of
our
bills.
We
are
wanting
to
require
our
correctional
officers
and
anyone
that's
going
to
be
interacting
with
women
to
understand
and
take
some
that
have
some
educational
requirements
and
do
some
training
around
understanding
that
trauma,
because
oftentimes
when
they're
going
back
into
that
when
they're
going
into
these
facilities,
they're
often
timely
traumatized-
and
you
know
that-
has
an
impact
on
their
behavior
impact
on
their
ability
to
rehabilitate.
C
As
far
as
funding,
because
the
state
didn't
recognize
any
woman
who
has
had
a
history
of
traumatic
abuse
and
domestic
abuse,
who
had
maybe
finally
said
enough
and
had
done
something,
you
know
and
in
terms
of
the
person
that
had
been
their
abuser
when
we
tried
to
get
diversionary
programs
and
funding
for
programming
and
treatment
to
treat
them
as
the
victims
that
they
were,
we
were
told
that,
if
they're
on,
if
they
were
charged
with
a
crime,
they
were
not
eligible
for
vocal
funding.
Okay,
okay.
I
C
A
Representative
again,
thank
you
for
raising
this
issue
to
a
priority
level.
For
all
of
us,
the
state
is
brother
or
big
sister,
and
we
are
we
come
under
you,
particularly
when
it
comes
to
penal
codes,
and
things
like
that.
One
of
the
things
that
we
might
want
to
address
is
a
codification
evaluation
of
those
codes
to
see
how
they
disproportionately
impact
women.
As
a
member
of
the
Pennsylvania
Human
Relations
Commission.
That
would
be
of
interest
to
us
to
take
a
look
at
the
disparate
impact
of
those
codes.
That's
number
one
number
two.
A
You
raise
the
interesting
question
by
way
of
the
design
of
prisons
and
what
might
be
helpful,
whether
it's
birthing
rooms
or
whatever
it
is
that
we
can
ask
our
correctional
executives
that
take
a
look
at,
and
maybe
we'll
hear
that
we're
ahead
of
the
curve
on
some
of
those
things.
But
that
is
something
that
probably
should
be
considered
of
the
special
needs
of
people
of
a
female
gender
and
particularly
when
they
are
pregnant
and
about
to
give
birth
in
those
kinds
of
situations.
So
is
there
any
movement
on
that?
Yes,.
I
But
luckily
a
lot
of
our
prison
systems,
at
least
on
the
state
level,
do
provide
facilities
that
are,
if
you
will
comforting
for
the
family.
Welcoming
Philadelphia
again
is
leading
in
that
space
also,
but
we
do
have
surrounding
cow
that
don't
actually
take
that
approach
and
a
lot
of
our
bills
are
looking
to
ensure
that
they
move
towards
that
direction.
So,
again,
Philadelphia
is
leading
the
charge.
The
goal
in
the
hope
is
to
divert
again
pregnant
women
out
of
our
prison
system
and
put
them
in
programs
that
they
actually
need
to
rehabilitate.
I
It
was
interesting
during
both
of
our
tours
to
sei
Muncie
and
sei
Cambridge.
A
good
majority
of
the
women
that
are
coming
back
into
our
prisons
on
the
state
level
that
are
pregnant
are
there
because
a
probation
tech
and
we
asked
each
of
the
the
Wharton's-
is
there
no
other
way
that
we
can
get
them
on
the
right
path.
I
Other
than
bringing
them
back
into
a
system
that
doesn't
have
the
right
amount
of
counseling
doesn't
have
the
right
amount
of
medical
health
treatment
in
order
to
support
the
woman
once
she
either
gives
birth
or
when
she's
coming
back
into
the
system,
while
she's
pregnant.
So
again,
Philadelphia
is
leading
the
charge
and
keeping
our
women
healthy
and
having
space
available
for
them
to
bring
in
their
family
members
and
actually
be
comfortable.
But
there's
a
lot
of
work
that
we
need
to
be
doing
throughout
the
Commonwealth
of
Pennsylvania
and
other
counties
and.
A
Finally,
there
is
an
effort
afoot
to
provide
teleconferencing
for
this.
In
this
case
fathers
who
want
to
be
a
part
of
their
children's
lives
from
time
to
time
being
in
touch,
particularly
with
schools.
Mm-Hmm-
and
you
know,
dealing
with
the
report
card
issue
are
any
behavioral
issues
of
that
a
child
might
have
and
what
was
found
was
you'd,
be
surprised
still
how
much
influence
a
primary
caregiver
father,
and/or
mother,
can
have
over
a
child
that
might
be
acting
out
because
of
the
absence
of
their
parent
and
I.
A
Don't
know
whether
we've
brought
that
to
scale
yet
that
kind
of
program,
but
would
love
to
work
with
you
and
Commissioner
Wetzel
talk
about
how
we
can
utilize
that
to
keep
the
family
I'm
more
connected
and
intact.
I
think
it's
good
on
both
ends.
Yeah
I
think
it's
good
for
the
incarcerated,
but
I
think
it's
good
for
the
family
to
know
that
my
mom
may
be
gone,
but
she's
not
forgotten
and
nine
times
out
of
ten
go
gonna
be
back
in
your
life
and
that
kind
of
connectivity.
Even
if
it's
electronic
yeah.
I
I
think
it's
it's
a
great
system
and
it's
a
great
way
to
keep
families
connected,
I
believe
our
we
have
a
partnership
here
in
Philadelphia
with
the
prison
system
and
our
Philadelphia
free
library,
where
they
do
the
teleconferencing,
but
I
think
one
of
the
things
you
have
to
remember
is
that
a
lot
of
our
inmates
are
low-income
and
oftentimes.
They
are
weighing
whether
or
not
they
get
food
from
commentary
or
in
some
counties,
get
their
feminine
products
or
save
the
dollars
for
that
phone
call
or
save
the
money
for
that
teleconferencing
opportunity.
I
I
do
believe
that
teleconferencing
piece
I
want
to
say
is
about
$20,
and
some
of
our
inmates
are
making
what
maybe
$1
15
cent
per
hour
or
less
than
that.
So
I
think
we
have
to.
You
know,
keep
that
in
mind
when
we're
talking
about
maintaining
a
connection
between
families.
In
some
other
states,
I
want
to
say,
New
Jersey,
just
passed,
legislation
to
allow
phone
calls
and
I
want
to
say
teleconferencing
for
free,
but
which
I
know
that
comes
at
a
cost,
but
I
do
think
it's
something
that
I
would
love
to
see.
A
J
Representatives
for
ass
I
have
all
three
questions.
Sure
I've
noticed
there's
no
mention
in
the
testimony
about
the
using
the
authority
of
a
male
personnel
against
women.
Have
you
come
across
any
of
those
incidents
at
the
state
level
say
this
again,
so
there's
being
sexual
assault
by
by
men
against
women
who
are
incarcerated.
I
J
I
We
would
leave
that
up
to
the
dlc
to
determine
what
the
training
looks
like,
but
the
main
goal
of
what
we're
outlining
is
trying
to
get
officers
and
anyone
interacting
with
women,
to
understand
the
trauma
that
they've
experienced
and
while
they're
incarcerated
and
working
towards
not
reach
Ramat
izing
them
while
they're
incarcerated.
That
is
the
main
goal
of
it.
But
if
that's
a
recommendation
that
you
would
like
to
make
to
the
dlc
when
they
designed
the
actual
trainings
and
that's
something
that
can
be
incorporated,
the.
J
Last
question
is
reintegration
into
the
community
and
back
into
the
family.
Is
there
a
program
that
we
can
look
to
get
funded
where
you
begin
the
reintegration
process
behind
the
walls
with
the
family
members?
And
so,
when
you
reintegrate
back
into
society,
you
were
able
to
resolve
a
lot
of
the
familiar
issues.
Anything.
I
I
We
actually
Philadelphia
actually
has
some
programs
that
actually
do
that,
and
so,
for
example,
who's
here
today
is
our
Dulles
House.
Yes
right
here,
some
programs
actually
do
do
that,
try
to
work
with
it
in
May
to
maintain
the
to
maintain
the
interaction
between
the
family
and
the
community,
but
then
also
help
them
to
navigate
post
once
they
are
released.
I
There's
also
a
program
called
I
wanted
to
say
it's
called
a
New
Leash
on
Life,
which
is
a
it's
almost
like
a
Workforce
Development
transition
program
where
they
use
they
use
dogs
to
help
kind
of
rehabilitate
well,
where
they
call
dogs
that
have
been
through
their
own
type
of
trauma.
They
help
the
inmates
rehabilitate
them
and
it's
a
program
that
they're
able
to
connect
to
once
they
leave
the
prison
and
they
connect
them
with
job
opportunities
they
provide
them
with
stipends
and
some
of
the
challenges.
I
Some
of
the
main
challenges
I
believe
women
face
once
they're
leaving
the
prison
system.
Is
you
know,
being
access
to
access,
housing
being
able
to
access
resources
for
transportation
purposes,
and
that's
something
that
again
organizations
like
our
Dulles
House
and
a
new
lease
on
life
really
make
an
intentional
effort
to
invest
in
so
each
of
those
groups
have
actually
gone
after
city
resources
that
they've
been
awarded,
and
also
some
state
resources
through
the
Pennsylvania
Commission
on
crime
and
delinquency.
So
there
is
funding
available
to
support
those
programs
and
bring
them
the
scale
now.
I
I
A
I
Yes,
yes,
Thank
You
councilman,
so
in
the
past,
and
the
last
budget
cycle
might
have
been
this
budget
cycle
where
there's
a
if
a
contractor
gets
a
contract
from
the
Department
of
Corrections.
A
percentage
of
that
contract
goes
into
a
funding
pot
administered
by
PCC,
D,
Pennsylvania
Commission
on
crime
and
delinquency,
specifically
for
young
people
that
have
parents
that
were
incarcerated
or
have
been
victims
of
a
crime.
So
there
there
are
pots
of
dollars
to
support
organizations
that
provide
that
that
that's
off
hand
holding
thanks,
Cal
tonight.
K
Thank
You
representative,
this
is
Claire
from
the
Pennsylvania
prison,
Society
and
I
just
want
to
speak
to
the
issue
of
family
connection.
That
was
was
raised.
As
you
may
all
know,
the
prison
society
is
Pennsylvania's,
independent
prison
monitor.
We
are
the
de
facto
Ombudsman
for
incarcerated
people
in
Pennsylvania,
and
we
also
provide
support
for
incarcerated
people
and
their
families.
For
close
to
two
decades.
We
have
provided,
with
the
help
of
the
Department
of
Correction
subsidized
bus
service
for
Philadelphia
families
to
visit
loved
ones
in
prisons.
K
K
Common
sense
and
research
backs
it
up
tells
us
that
family
connection,
maintaining
family
connection
during
a
period
of
incarceration
makes
a
tremendous
difference
for
someone
to
be
able
to
come
home
successfully.
Our
buses
help
provide
that
connection.
In
addition,
this
past
year
we
received
a
grant
from
uber
to
provide
free
rides
for
Philadelphia
families,
with
small
children
and
elderly
members
to
visit
up
at
state
road.
K
Veera
recently
did
a
research
study
about
the
the
effectiveness
of
videoconferencing,
keeping
families
connected
as
any
of
us
who
know
who
have
remote
families.
It's
not
the
same
as
an
in-person
visit,
it's
not
as
effective
as
an
in-person
visit.
But
it's
certainly
better
than
nothing
and
unfortunately,
in
the
last
several
years,
the
ability
of
families
in
state
facilities
with
incarcerated
loved
ones
at
state
facilities
to
utilize.
That
service
has
has
been
made
more
difficult.
D
I
I
Think
Philadelphia
again
as
much
of
we
as
much
as
we've
been
leading
the
way
across
the
Commonwealth,
there's
a
lot
more
things
that
we
could
can
be
done,
and
hopefully
this
conversation
today
will
help
move
the
needle
in
either
policy
shifts
or
legislation.
So
I.
Thank
you
again
for
having
this
conversation
today,
I'm.
C
J
C
Your
colleagues
are
working
on
probation
reform
and
I
have
not
seen
that
in
Philadelphia,
but
I
know
being
in
other
counties
and
being
around
other
policymakers
from
other
counties.
There
are
a
lot
of
probation
officers
whose
policies
are
that
if
a
woman
is
pregnant
and
they
have
been
known
to
use
substances,
they
will
order
them
to
be
locked
up
while
they
are
pregnant
until
they
deliver
their
babies
so
that
they
will
not
use
those
substances.
I
think
there's
more
of
a
creative
way
that
we
can
deal
with
that
and
I.
I
Definitely
especially
when
we
have
again
secretary
Wetzel
interested
in
diverting
women
out
of
the
prison
system
that
are
pregnant
because
again,
when
we
have
a
County
that
was
just
recently
sued
because
of
you
know
them
being
in
our
custody,
us
not
treating
them
properly,
that's
something
that
the
Commonwealth
can't
afford.
So
again,
it's
something
that
he's
really
interested
in
seeing
one
of
my
colleagues
representative
some
early
again,
this
is
a
package
of
about
15
bills.
I
My
colleagues,
some
early
from
out
of
Pittsburgh
and
Pittsburgh,
was
actually
recently
sued
because
from
the
ACLU
because
of
the
restricting
housing
issue.
By
putting
pregnant
women
into
solitary
confinement,
they
were
sued
and
required
to
come
up
with
the
policy.
So
as
a
result
of
all
that,
she's
come
up
with
legislation
to
require
judges
to
divert
pregnant
women
out
of
the
prison
system,
even
if
they
are
have
reoffended
and
to
connect
them
with
the
services
that
they
really
need
on
the
outside.
L
Representative,
I
just
want
to
build
on
what
the
chief
defender
was
asking
about
earlier
in
your
comments
about
pushing
pcc
d
to
have
a
subcommittee
focused
on
women.
Is
it
possible
to
also
have
the
state
look,
I
would
say
beyond,
but
really
before,
not
only
in
diversion
from
prison
and
court
based
diversion
options,
but
really
put
an
emphasis
on
pre-booking
diversion
where
possible.
As
we
know
at
least
locally,
a
lot
of
the
women
suffer
from
substance
use,
behavioral
health
trauma
and
those
should
be
treated
as
medical
issues,
not
criminal
issues.
Yes,.
I
Yes,
I
mean,
and
that's
one
of
the
reasons
why
we
so
the
the
subcommittee
did
exist
during
the
Obama
administration
and
because
PCC
D
primarily
gets
us
funding
from
the
federal
government
when
policy
shifts.
Naturally,
you
know
subcommittee
shifts,
but
I
mean
just
to
your
point
when
you
see
an
uptick
in
this
population,
there's
something
that
we're
missing
and
that
we
need
to
better
understand.
So
that
is
something
that
we're
going
to
really
try
to
push.
I
So
we
can
take
a
deeper
dive
into
a
lot
of
these
issues
across
the
entire
continuum
of
when
they
even
go
into
the
school
to
Prison
Pipeline
to
when
they
are
offending
or
reoffending
or
are
on
probation.
We
need
a
body
that
is
studying
specifically
this
issue,
so
we
can
put
the
right
policies
resources
in
place
to
be
able
to
address.
You
know
this
concern.
A
A
M
Thank
you
good
morning,
good
morning
my
name
is
Samira.
Shabazz
I'm,
a
policy
director
with
our
Dulles
house
or
a
Dallas
House,
is
a
re-entry
program
here
in
Philadelphia
who
serve
women,
who
have
been
formerly
incarcerated,
who
are
incarcerated,
with
a
variety
of
services,
housing,
family
reunification,
mentoring
and
just
basic
life
skills.
My
goal
here
today
is
is
to
convey
a
message.
There
formerly
incarcerated
women
can
become
productive,
law-abiding
members
of
society
with
the
right
programming
and
to
show
how
many
barriers
women
face
post-incarceration,
regardless
of
the
date
of
offense
and
conviction.
M
M
Sorry
I
was
16
years
old
when
I
was
convicted
in
1993
right
here.
In
this
building
and
judge
Lisa
V
Shutts
courtroom,
it's
been
27
years,
however.
My
felony
will
last
forever
I
have
a
Bachelors
of
Science,
with
a
concentration
of
Human,
Services
and
Master
of
Science,
with
a
concentration
of
human
services
and
an
MBA.
M
However,
I'm
still
forbidden
from
taking
my
son
on
school
trips,
I've
taught
in
South
Africa
studied
international
business
management
in
Dublin.
Ireland
I've
worked
14
years
for
like
health
management
corporation
right
here
in
Philadelphia
in
27
years,
I've
not
had
no
other
contact
with
law
enforcement,
not
even
a
speeding
ticket.
However,
as
a
mother.
M
Sometimes
it
becomes
very,
very
difficult
explaining
to
your
child
that
happened
way
before
he
was
even
thought
about,
prevents
me
from
going
on
college
tours
with
his
school,
because
what
do
you
have
to
do?
You
have
to
submit
to
what
a
background
check
his
teachers
and
guys
counselors?
Don't
know
me
as
a
formerly
incarcerated
woman.
They
don't
know
me
as
a
convicted
felon.
They
know
me
as
Jamal's
mom,
that
comes
to
all
of
the
parent-teacher
conference.
M
Tomorrow's
mom,
that
volunteers
follow
the
the
sports
games
and
something
that
happened
in
1992
prevents
me
from
going
on
college
tours.
I
thought
I
wasn't
going
to
get
emotional
today.
I
gave
myself
as
long
peps
hook
all
the
way
down
here
to
keep
it
together,
keep
it
together,
keep
it
together,
and
it
was
just
like
a
flood
of
emotions.
Just
came
over
me.
M
We
do
become
productive
members
of
society.
We
do
I'm
a
homeowner
I've,
been
in
my
home
for
17
years,
I'm,
a
committee
person
in
a
60
or
more
fifth
Division.
We
do
become
productive
members
of
society.
However,
it's
so
many
barriers
that
prevents
us
from
from
continually
to
be
productive
members,
housing
restrictions
if
I
needed
to
apply
for
public
housing
assistance,
I,
wouldn't
be
able
to
because
of
a
felony
conviction
from
1990
to
9
2002,
not
2012,
not
2019,
1992
I
was
16.
I
am
43
years
old.
Now,
no
other
contact
with
law
enforcement.
M
These
are
some
of
the
barriers
and
I've
just
been
fortunate.
That
I
had
a
strong
mentoring
system
and
I
had
a
group
of
people
around
me
supported
me,
and
it
was
like
they
kind
of
conspired
together.
For
me
to
be
successful,
everyone
is
an
afforded
that
opportunity.
You
know,
I
had
a
judge
who
believed
that
I
could
be
successful.
Who
followed
me
all
the
way
through
I
was
17
when
I
got
to
Muncie
state
prison.
You
know
now
they
have.
You
know
these
units
now
for
young
adult
offenders.
M
It
wasn't
that
in
1993,
when
I
got
there,
I
went
straight
in
the
general
population
and
judge
was
shut,
she's
followed
it
all
the
way
through
I.
Remember
when
I
got
my
first
job,
she
wrote
a
recommendation
letter
for
me
to
get
a
job.
I
had
a
strong
system
of
people
who
believed
that
I
had
the
ability
to
turn
my
life
around
and
to
do
something
different
and
I.
Just
will
hope
that
legislators
see
the
same
thing
with
the
many
women
who
who
come
to
who
come
through
the
public
defender's
Association.
M
A
F
My
name
is
Lazar
Blake
good
morning
city
of
minimal
good
morning,
councilmembers
and
Special
Committee
on
criminal
justice
reform
members.
Thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
testify.
Today.
My
name
is
Lazar
Blake
and
I'm,
a
mother
of
four
sons,
a
peer
mentor,
a
friend
a
child
of
God,
a
teacher.
They
advocate
a
strong,
determined
woman.
That
is
what
defines
me
not
my
criminal
record.
I
spent
almost
a
year
at
RCF,
because
I
couldn't
afford
to
pay
bail.
My
youngest
child
was
seven
months
when
I
was
incarcerated.
F
That
meant
a
year
away
from
him
and
my
other
children,
my
church
and
my
relationship
with
my
family.
It
meant
not
getting
the
help
I
needed
to
stay
out
of
jail,
not
finishing
school
and
not
being
there
for
the
people
who
depended
on
me
being
locked
up
before
even
going
to
trial
made
me
feel
like
I
was
guilty
without
a
way
out
like
I
didn't
belong,
and
my
life
was
over,
like
everyone
who
believed
in
me,
including
myself,
was
going
to
give
up
on
me
since
coming
home.
F
F
I
walked
off
seven
years
of
probation
and
successfully
challenged
VHA,
who
previously
wouldn't
provide
me
with
the
opportunity
of
housing
because
of
my
criminal
record
and
after
meeting
with
them,
they
overturned
my
pill
and
saved
my
criminal
past
will
not
be
a
area
to
a
mission.
I
now
have
safe
housing
for
me
and
my
son
and
I'm
just
getting
started,
but
even
with
all
that,
even
though
I'm
doing
so
much
positive
route
every
time
I
go
see.
My
pl
I'm
reach
Ramat
eyes.
F
I
pick
extra
clothes,
I
write
down
phone
numbers,
I
bring
extra
money
because
I'm
terrified
that
being
locked
up
again
locked
away
from
my
kids
and
from
all
those
who
need
me.
Seven
years
is
too
long
to
feel
this
scared
and
we
need
to
end
long
long
term
probation
sentences
and
help
people
get
on
with
their
lives.
We've
done
our
time
in
fees
and
fines
today,
I
stay
here
so
that
the
City
Council
members,
especially
committee
members,
understand
that
we
need
to
end
cash
bail.
F
So
many
women
like
me,
are
separated
from
their
children
and
it's
tearing
our
communities
apart.
We
spend
so
much
money,
locking
up
women
if
we
ended
cash,
bail
and
let
those
women
out
the
city
could
put
more
money
into
reentry
programs
so
that
women
can
have
what
they
need
to
stay
free
and
help
our
families
and
communities
survive
high
standards
to
tell
you
that
no
one
deserves
to
be
to
serve
extremely
long
periods
of
probation.
F
No
one
deserves
to
live
in
fear
for
seven
years
that
one
small
mistake
can
send
them
back
to
jail
and
away
from
their
kids.
Again.
Philadelphia
is
the
most
incarcerated.
Large
city
in
the
country
and
it's
time
to
change
I
stand
here
to
tell
you
that
women
who
have
been
locked
up
know
what
we
need.
We
know
that
what
our
families
need
and
what
our
communities
need
we're
ready
to
work
with
you
to
make
changes.
We
need
thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to.
F
My
name
is
Naima
sanchez,
Philadelphian
I'm,
also
in
a
staff
member
at
the
ACLU
of
Pennsylvania
I
wanted
to
start
off
with,
like
this
quote,
that
I
have
that
what
our
experience
come
trauma
and
tears,
and
this
is
the
reason
why
we
need
criminal
justice
reform,
because
there
is
trauma,
that's
retrigger
in
us,
and
there
are
tears
that
we
keep
wiping
away.
So
I
just
want
to
just
leave
with
that.
So
thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
provide
I,
have
a
written
testimony
and
I
appreciate
the
initiatives
to
criminal
justice
reform
by
this
committee.
F
It's
important
me
important
for
me
to
highlight
my
personal
experience
when
I'm
with
the
criminal
justice
system
and
how
the
criminalization
of
survival
modes
taken
by
trans
people,
especially
black
trans
women
and
trans
women,
of
color,
continue
to
hinder
me
and
in
many
areas
of
my
life
as
a
transgender
teenager
growing
up
in
Philadelphia
during
the
early
2000s,
it
was
hard
stigma,
barriers
and
discrimination
led
me
to
drop
out
of
high
school
and
become
homeless
as
a
team
on
the
Philadelphia
streets.
This
opened
the
doors
for
me
to
the
sex
work
industry.
F
This
wasn't
something
I
dreamed
of
doing
with
my
body
or
my
life
I
have
plans
on
becoming
a
doctor
to
help.
You
know
people
like
myself
and
also
a
lawyer
to
help
you
know
people
like
my
father
who
have
fallen
through
the
cracks
of
the
criminal
justice
system
and
Khepri
entering
into
the
system
of
oppression.
I
was
locked
up
eight
times
from
the
ages
of
17
to
22.
F
I
was
already
doesn't
learn
how
to
provide
necessities
like
housing,
food
and
clothing
for
myself
and
barely
meeting
those
needs
now,
I
was
dealing
with
being
detained
and
given
probation
with
court
fees
and
supervision
fees.
On
top
of
that,
I
was
already
oppressed
and
struggling
to
survive,
but
the
criminal
justice
system
had
no
mercy
and
furthered
the
oppression
by
mandating
me
to
probation
department,
yet
another
part
of
the
system
that
fails
to
provide
a
pathway
to
reentry
and
promote
growth
of
citizens.
F
Productive
citizens,
after
violently
in
probation
with
the
new
arrests
for
sex
work,
I
was
given
a
detainer
and
healthful
trial
in
a
men's
facility.
As
a
woman,
the
house
of
correction
I
was
administered
administered,
administrated
to
protective
custody
and
locked
up
for
22
hours
a
day
and
because
of
my
gender
identity,
I
was
repeatedly
raped
by
a
correctional
officer
who
was
supposedly
employed
to
protect
me
from
other
inmates
and
I
wasn't
even
able
to
access
the
medical
needs
that
I
had
as
a
transgender
person.
F
15
years
later,
I'm
still
dealing
with
the
trauma
of
my
sexual
assualt
through
therapy
and
prescription
and
antidepressants
I'm,
a
contributor
to
the
city
of
Philadelphia
in
many
ways
and
I'm
a
fierce
educator
and
advocate
for
all
of
our
intersecting
communities,
issues
and
causes,
but
still
I
have
comment.
I
have
a
criminal
record
that
permits
prevents
me
from
accomplishing
the
goals
I
have
set
out
for
myself.
One
of
our
goals
is
adopting
a
child.
That's
a
need.
F
The
criminal
justice
reform
is
desperately
needed
and
we
must
take
a
look
at
all
aspects
of
the
system
from
police
profiling.
To
sentencing
reform.
To
make
this
change,
we
must
also
commit
to
eliminating
the
racial
and
gender
disparities.
Philadelphia
is
faced
with
an
entire
criminal
justice
system.
I
want
to
thank
you
for
allowing
me
to
share
my
story
and
if
you
have
questions
I'm,
welcome
to
that
as
well.
Thank
you.
A
So,
first
of
all,
thank
you
for
sharing
their
stories
and
thank
you
for
giving
us
that
information,
because
you
may
assume
that
everybody
on
this
side
of
the
table
has
the
answers.
That
is
not
the
case.
We
through
your
experiences,
can
develop
answers
and
that's
why
this
is
important.
Are
there
any
questions.
D
D
What
I
gave
the
former
lieutenant
governor
of
lieutenant
governor
stack.
I
gave
him
a
program
called
pathways
to
pardons
and
he
started
to
operate
that
program
through
representatives
and
and
the
state
senators
where,
if
you
go
to
your
state
senators
office
and
put
in
a
part
in
application,
it
would
go
to
the
board
of
pardons
from
that
state
senators
office
and
it
was
fast-tracked.
I
The
fast
track
is
then
happening
right.
There
is
still
a
process
in
place
in
our
current
lieutenant
governor
has
made
a
big
effort
on
streamlining
the
system
to
shrink
the
amount
of
time
that
probations
do
take
now.
It
still
does
take
some
time
and
there's
still
some
reforms
and
these
that
need
to
be
done,
but
our
lieutenant
governor
is
moving
in
the
right
direction,
but
there
still
is
a
time
frame
in.
We
don't
necessarily
have
too
much
say
on
who
jumps
ahead
or
aligning.
D
Kind
of
like
get
him
on
board
on
this
program
as
well,
but
you,
ladies,
should
put
in
those
applications
you
have
to
get
into
the
pipeline
in
order
to
to
have
an
opportunity
to
to
have
a
favorable
result.
If
you
don't
put
in
that
application,
you'll
just
be
telling
the
story
over
and
over
again
and
it's
a
possibility,
if
you
put
it
in
if
many
people
put
it
in,
we
have
a
better
opportunity
of
getting
people's
records,
pardoned
because
there'll
be
more
people
in
front
of
that
Board
of
Pardons
and
Parole.
M
You
in
these
20
pages
long
and
you
see
how
intense
it
is
yeah,
but
it's
what
we
have.
No,
no
and
I'm
not
saying
that
it
is
what
we
have.
However,
you
everything
gets
examined,
except
your
medical
records
and
for
some
people
that
can
be
very,
very
intimidating.
They
want
to
interview
your
neighbors
and
employers,
your
former
employers,
so
now
you
have
to,
and
I
can
speak
for
myself.
The
conversation
that
we're
having
in
2019
is
not
the
conversation
we
were
having
10
years
ago
about
criminal
justice
reform.
M
So
for
me
it
was
get
a
good
job.
Be
quiet,
don't
talk
about
ever
being
incarcerated
and
kind
of
go
under
the
radar,
so
it
never
comes
up
because
you
you
don't
want
to
have
that
conversation
in
terms
of
your
employer
or
the
way
people
see
you
or
the
people.
The
way
people
view
you
because
it's
like
you
were
in
jail
before
what
happened.
M
You
know
people
it's
all
of
these
assumptions,
so
when
you
see
this
application
and
I
probably
downloaded
and
printed
about
20
or
30
times-
and
it's
always
on
my
on
my
vision,
board,
printing
out
the
application.
Do
the
application
and
then,
when
you
start
looking
at
the
questions
and
all
of
the
things
that
they
want
you
to
answer
it
gets
overwhelming
and
it
becomes
intimidating
and
I'm,
not
saying
that
they
don't
need
that
information,
but
when
you're
filling
it
out,
it's
like
whoa,
it's
not
really
a
I
mean
I,
think
his
name
is
Wayne
Jacobs.
M
The
pardon
me
Clinic
and
and
and
and
they'll
help
you
through
the
through
the
process,
but
it
becomes
something
for
me.
It's
like.
Okay,
it's
been
almost
30
years.
It's
like
I've,
been
I've
been
able
to
be
successful
in
my
career
and
kind
of
you
know,
I'm
almost
past
the
phase
of
my
son
being
in
school.
So
it's
like
you
know
it's
there,
but
do
I
want
to
do
it.
Absolutely
it's
just
intimidating.
It's
very
intimidating.
You.
D
Know
at
when
we
first
did
it,
we
were
helping
people
fill
out
the
application
right,
and
that
was
part
of
the
whole
process
that
that
we
actually
had
people
that
were
sitting
down
helping
people
fill
out
the
application.
The
first
person
that
we
used
this
for
was
a
state
senator
Sharif
Street.
That's
where
he
was
the
initial
state,
senator
that
we
did
the
program
through
okay,
it
started
to
expand
from
then,
of
course,
lieutenant
governor
stack
did
not
have
a
favorable
result.
Okay,
and
we
had
a
you
know.
D
I
Yeah
I
think
the
good
thing
is
that
we
do
have
under
the
new
leadership.
The
new
executive
director,
Brandon
flood
was
actually
someone
that
was
incarcerated,
went
through
the
pardon
process
and
understands
the
challenges
that
the
young
lady
is
bringing
up
today.
So
with
him
and
our
new
lieutenant
governor
we've
been
able
to
remove
some
of
the
fees,
there's
been
an
additional
state
investment
and
expanding
the
staff.
So
the
processing
period
goes
a
lot
quicker
and
I
do
believe
they
streamline
the
in
some
way.
I
could
I,
don't
I,
can't
really.
I
Okay,
I
want
to
make
sure
I'm
correct
with
that
yeah.
So
I
think
the
good
thing
is
that
we're
moving
the
needle
a
little
bit,
but
you
know
he's
only
been
in
for
a
year
and
some
change
now
so
hopefully,
with
conversations
like
this
we'll
be
able
to
do
a
lot
more
based
on
the
experience
of
people
that
are
actually
going
through
the
process.
So
we
have
seen
some
some
progress
so.
A
A
And
that
was
a
Herculean
task
to
do
that,
but
but
it
is
incremental
progress
if
you
never
take
back
your
experience,
but
it
can
prevent
experiences
of
people
going
forward
to
ever
have
to
go
through
that
their
one
question
I
have
for
you
was
you
said
your
bail
kept.
You
incarcerated
with
a
inability
to
pay
it
for
another
year.
Well,.
A
F
I
lost
my
house:
I
lost
everything
in
it,
including
my
brother
ashes.
Everything
was
placed
in
storage,
the
storage
bill
was
more
than
a
bill
and
I
lost
everything.
So
when
I
came
home,
I
went
into
treatment
when
I
came
home
because
I
had
no
house
and
my
mother,
she
had
all
four
of
my
sons
and
I
I
didn't
I
had
to
just
stay
into
treatment,
and
so
I
can
keep.
F
You
know,
stay
focused,
get
I,
went
to
Mercy
Hospice,
then
inch
from
house
and
then
garden,
Zia
and
then
I
wound
up
applying
for
PHA
I
was
denied
because
of
my
criminal
record.
Even
though,
when
I
lost
my
house,
it
was
PHA
but
I
didn't
lose
it
because
of
going
to
jail.
I
lost
it
because
of
that.
Well,
I
lost
it
because
of
going
to
jail,
but
not
I
wasn't
evicted
like
because
you
know
I
did
some
crime.
I
was
evicted
because
of
the
gas,
but
I
was
in
jail,
so
I
couldn't
fight
for
it.
F
So
when
I
applied
for
PHA
again,
I
was
denied
this
time,
because
the
my
criminal
record
I
appealed
it.
The
defenders
wanted
to
defend
of
CLS
lawyers,
they
weren't
with
me
with
Courtney
bowels
and
we're
builded,
with
all
the
letters
from
probation
officer
the
wonderful
things
that
I'm
doing
and
they
overturned
it
and
saying
my
criminal
record
would
not
be
a
barrier
if
I
was
a
so
that's
how
I
was
able
to
get
housing
again.
So.
A
Just
want
a
record
that
Washington
DC
has
not
had
cash
bail
12
years
and
either
you
are
a
danger
to
yourself
in
society
or
you
are
not.
Cash
does
not
make
us
any
any
degree
safer.
It
can
make
your
particular
circumstances,
don't
on
the
presumption
of
innocence
far
worse,
but
it
cannot
make
us
it's
necessarily
safer.
So
you
know.
K
K
You
raised
something:
that's
really
wonderful
and
I
just
want
to
tease
out
another
thing
in
your
exchange,
so
it's
not
only
cash
bail.
That
was
at
fault
here,
but
it's
also
that
we
had
a
court
process
that
took
a
year
that
you
were
sitting
pretrial
for
a
year
and
if
you
look
at
court
process
times
in
other
cities,
they
are
much
shorter.
K
K
B
K
A
A
A
A
H
Is
Blanche
Carney
I'm,
commissioner
of
the
Philadelphia
Department
of
prisons?
Good
morning,
chairperson,
council,
men,
Curtis
Jones,
and
the
members
of
the
Special
Committee
on
criminal
justice
reform
joining
me
today
with
my
colleagues
appears
here
at
the
table,
I'm
pleased
to
provide
testimony
on
the
Philadelphia
Department
of
prisons,
criminal
justice
reforms
at
Riverside,
Correctional
Facility
pursuant
to
resolution
number
one:
nine:
zero,
zero,
nine
zero,
which
authorizes
hearings
to
examine
adequate
solutions
and
addressing
the
specific
needs
of
incarcerated
women.
H
Women
are
the
fastest
growing
prison
population,
increasing
seven
hundred
percent
from
1980
to
2014,
but
here
in
Philadelphia,
we've
been
working
collaboratively
with
the
criminal
justice
stakeholders
for
the
MacArthur
Foundation's
safety
and
justice
challenge
to
decrease
our
population
across
the
board,
including
women
as
the
October
21st
2019.
There
are
three
and
65
women
in
our
care
and
only
seven
point:
nine
one
percent
of
our
prison
population,
and
this
number
has
steadily
decreased
with
the
help
of
our
criminal
justice
partners.
H
In
response
to
this
growing
number
of
pregnant
women
and
mothers
incarcerated
at
the
PDP
we've
partnered,
with
the
mom
mobile
operations
in
2006,
a
program
offered
by
the
maternity
care
coalition,
the
PDP
and
mama
bill
provides
services
to
pregnant
women
and
mothers
of
infants
at
our
CF
partnering
with
women
during
their
incarceration
to
prepare
them
for
motherhood
throughout
parenting
education
and
continue
to
assist
after
release
in
2018
the
PDP
and
mama
be
accomplished.
The
following
provided
doula
services.
H
This
program
began
at
RCF
in
January
of
2018,
and
they
are
currently
120
people
enrolled
in
our
m80
program.
Female
inmates
represent
25
percent
of
the
inmates
enrolled
in
our
m80
rmat
program
is
one
of
the
largest
m80
programs
in
the
city.
We
also
eat
several
years
ago,
partnered
with
the
Girl
Scouts
beyond
bars.
H
Our
new
lease
on
life
dog
training
program
has
begun
working
with
our
female
women.
Excuse
me
inmates
participation
in
this
program,
reduced
recidivism
rates
by
night
by
nearly
50%,
and
many
participants
have
job
placements
with
groups
like
actally
upon
release
earliest
earlier
this
year.
Alumni
for
the
PD
P
New
Leash
on
Life
program,
came
to
our
graduation
to
speak
on
their
experiences
with
the
New
Leash
on
Life
program
and
how
it
has
helped
them
with
the
successful
release
and
navigation
upon
returning
to
their
communities
daytime
and
evening.
H
Gymnasium
hours
exists
for
exercise
opportunity
as
well
as
transformational,
yoga
and
cardio,
because
we
do
know
that
women
do
gain
weight
at
an
alarming
rate
as
compared
to
their
counterparts
that
are
not
incarcerated.
This
year
we
introduced
three
new
policies
for
female
offenders.
Female
hygiene,
feminine
hygiene
products
are
provided
to
all,
regardless
of
ability
to
pay
at
no
cost.
Women
who
have
given
birth
while
in
custody
are
permitted.
A
2-hour
visit
per
week
with
the
child
and
permitted
to
breastfeed
in
a
designated
area
with
the
newborn.
H
We
understand
that
women
just
don't
grow
up
and
say:
I
want
to
go
to
jail.
There
are
traumatic
histories
and,
unfortunately
I'm
the
last
stop.
In
that
intervention.
We
can
do
more
to
assess
before
people
become
involved
with
the
criminal
justice
system.
We
know
women
are
suffering
with
traumatic
backgrounds
of
abuse,
sexual
abuse,
mental
illness
and
substance
abuse.
H
All
of
that
at
some
point
comes
to
a
head
and
they're
engaging
with
criminal
justice
partners,
and
we
have
to
do
a
better
job
to
assess
before
people
even
get
involved
and
start
to
go
down
that
path
of
engaging
the
various
criminal
justice
partners,
we're
clear
that
people
aren't
just
waking
up
and
wanting
to
make
commit
crimes.
There
are
things
that
are
going
on
in
the
lives
of
citizens
here
in
Philadelphia,
I
have
the
unique
experience
of
being
a
social
worker
at
the
Philadelphia
industrial
Correctional
Center.
H
When
we
had
women
there
when
we
started
to
experience
the
increase
in
the
female
population,
that
was
the
emphasis
for
the
Riverside
Correctional
Facility
being
built,
which
is
unfortunate,
we're
in
a
great
position
right
now,
where
we
are
trending
down
in
our
numbers.
Yes,
there's
a
lot
of
work
ahead
of
us
and
more
that
we
can
do,
but
for
over
20
years
the
Philadelphia
Department
of
prisons
has
been
committed
to
women
and
their
children
with
the
help
of
a
stone
leaf
foundation.
Fellow
we
work
collaboratively
with
the
Department
of
Human
Services
to
create
a
know.
H
Your
rights
bill
for
parents
incarcerated
parents
and
out
of
that
came
the
scheduling
of
case
conferences
for
incarcerated
parents,
men
and
women
to
participate
in
family
hearings
so
that
their
voices
were
heard.
That
was
a
collaborative
effort
and
it's
still
going
on
today.
We've
also
over
25
years
hosted
a
holiday
party.
It
may
not
sound
a
lot,
but
in
the
month
of
December
we
turn
our
see
up
into
a
room
where
the
children
take
over.
H
We
have
outside
partners
that
come
in
and
the
women
spend
time
with
their
children
and
whatever
gift
that
that
child
receives
has
always
stated
from
your
mother.
We
maintain
ten
minutes
free
phone
call
time
every
day
that
the
mothers
can
call
home
and
have
those
conversations
ten
three
minutes.
We
maintain
that
over
the
years
I
refuse
to
budge
on
that,
because
I
know
how
critical
it
is.
We've
also
maintained
in-person
visits.
H
Now
some
jurisdictions
have
gone
to
tell
the
visits.
In-Person
visits
are
very
important
because
we
know
that
is
a
opportunity
for
the
mother
to
touch
her
child
and
the
child
to
touch
the
mother
and
it's
important
and
it's
incumbent
upon
us
that
we
continue
to
work
collaboratively
to
explore
ways
for
us
to
address
the
needs
of
incarcerated
women
and
working
with
the
chief
defender
care,
Bradford
Rea.
We've
done
great
work,
we've
explored
opportunities
where
we
can
make
changes
and
they've
been
positive
and
it's
keeping.
H
K
A
H
H
In
addition,
we
knew
once
we
induced
on
ma
T
now
what
we
were
going,
the
extra
step
enrolling,
starting
with
the
women
again
in
medical
assistance,
all
of
the
programs
and
treatments
and
healthcare
that
we
start.
We
know
that
it
has
to
be
a
continuum
of
care.
We
started
ma
enrollment
with
the
women
and
we
expand
it
to
the
men.
So
the
focus
here
is
always
for
me.
H
I
have
I
have
a
bias
here
and
that
bias
is
understanding
that
the
majority
of
our
incarcerated
mothers
or
parents,
and
that
that
has
a
ripple
effect
on
the
children.
So
we
need
to
make
sure
we're
doing
all
that
we
can
to
help
them
transition.
So
not
only
did
we
start
ma
T,
we
started
the
ma
enrollment
and
we
have
a
long-standing
history
with
the
Lutheran
settlement
house
for
domestic
education
awareness.
H
Many
of
our
women
are
coming
in
with
domestic
violence
backgrounds
and
the
charges
now
are
related
to
some
of
those
situations,
and
so
we
were
at
the
forefront
of
understanding
that
women,
being
the
major
caretaker
of
the
families,
were
being
impacted,
and
now
we
have
the
second
and
third
generations.
So
all
of
the
programming,
once
we
step
back,
we're
looking
to
see
who
is
going
to
benefit
most,
the
male
population
benefits
from
all
of
the
programs
that
we
start
with
the
women,
because
we
know
they're
the
missing
piece.
H
We
also
understand
what
their
recent
amendment
for
act
88,
giving
grandparents
the
opportunity
to
have
an
emergency
90
day,
guardianship
where
they
can
provide
for
the
children
they
can
take
them
to
appointments
was
instrumental,
and
so
we
continue
to
work
collaboratively
with
the
Department
of
Human
Services
or
the
Guardians
to
make
sure
that
the
children
aren't
their
lives
are
impacted
as
minimal
as
possible.
But
incarceration
is
not
easy.
It
takes
a
toll
on
the
entire
family,
namely
those
children.
C
I'm
sorry
I
want
to
say
this
to
Commissioner
Connor,
Kearney
leadership
matters
in
effective
leadership
matters
and
I
want
to
thank
you
for
your
leadership.
You
have
a
sense
of
responsibility
and
your
unique
perspective
has
allowed
us
to
explore
some
of
these
issues
and
when
everyone
says
that
you
can't
do
things
yes,
you
can
you
can
do
it
if
you
have
the
will
desire
and
the
knowledge
and
information
to
do
so,
and
you
have
done
that.
C
I
know,
there's
things
that
have
gone
on
where
you've
been
criticized
for
this
or
that
you're
never
going
to
be
perfect,
but
I
say,
keep
doing
what
you're
doing,
because
I
know
I
see
it
and
we
see
it
with
it
with
our
clients
how
much
they
are
understanding
that
the
humanity
is
seeping
back
into
this
system,
and
while
people
don't
want
to
understand
or
admit
how
much.
That
is
how
important
that
is,
because
it's
not
quantifiable.
Just
look
around
look
at
the
stories
that
you
heard
these
are
people.
C
These
are
human
beings
and,
like
you
said
before,
when
we
were
at
a
criminal
justice
advisory
board,
we
had
to
realize
what
are
we
doing?
What
do
we
want
and
if
we
want
short
term
goals,
the
punitive
response?
Look
at
the
long-term
effects
that
has
and
so
I
just
thank
you
for
your
leadership.
I
can
be
on
my
soapbox
all
day
and
I
won't
because
I
know
we
have
to
get
through
a
lot
of
people,
but
when
we
have
leaders
who
care
this
is
a
type
of
outcome
to
get.
J
J
One
of
the
issues
that
I
was
always
concerned
about
is
the
contractors
at
the
Philadelphia
prison
system
and
whether
or
not
they
reflect
the
population.
That's
incarcerated
in
our
prisons
and
whether
or
not
nonprofits
as
well
as
private
companies
are
actually
often
employment
opportunities
to
the
women
and
the
men
that
uncorrelated
behind
bars.
Since.
H
My
tenure
I've
put
that
in
place
that
we
have
to
have
post
release
engagement,
post
release
engagement
is
that,
if
we're
fun
during
funding
and
partnering
with
you,
there
has
to
be
a
benefit
post
release.
A
lot
of
a
lot
of
programs
will
tell
of
how
well
their
programs
are
doing
well
we're
doing
the
heavy
lifting
providing
food,
clothing
and
shelter.
But
my
concern
is
what
happens
to
individuals
when
they
release
out?
How
are
you
transitioning
them
into
post
release
employment?
H
So
we've
started
that
with
the
new
lease
on
life,
as
I
stated
before
is
one
of
our
programs
that
has
provided
robust
job
placement
upon
release
in
addition
to
housing,
one
of
the
alumni
Zuri
turned
back
and
spoke
about
how
it
changed
her
life
and
had
she
not
been
incarcerated.
Unfortunately,
at
RCF
she
would
never
have
had
that
opportunity.
So
we're
expanding
that
for
those
programs
that
can
provide
workforce,
readiness
and
placement,
it
can
no
longer
be
a
stipend.
H
J
H
You
are
absolutely
correct:
we're
working
with
that
this
in
late
18
early
19,
we
partnered
with
the
streets
department
and
workforce
development,
where
we
have
a
cohort
of
work,
release,
inmates
that
are
working
at
the
the
auto
shops
and
they're
doing
training,
with
the
hope
that
once
they
develop
up
their
skills,
they'll
be
released
as
a
cohort,
and
they
can
then
test
for
city
employment.
If
they
pass
that,
then
they
will
become
city
employees.
This
is
groundbreaking.
They
are
receiving
more
than
the
dollar
fifty
per
day
that
the
inmates
receive
on
State.
H
Road
I've
also
made
a
request
for
increased
pay
for
the
inmate
workers,
so
it
will
require
an
increase
of
a
dollar
fifty
per
day.
Again,
it's
educating
folks
not
just
to
simply
increase
the
wage,
but
to
also
give
them
access
to
financial
literacy.
On
how
best
to
manage
that
money
save
the
money
while
they're
there,
some
men
may
have
paid
bill
based
on
their
inmate
work
pay.
As
you
stated
before,
Phil
is
eliminated.
H
A
Thank
You
mr.
Ross
for
increasing
our
budget.
So
now,
once
we
get
that
information,
we're
responsible
for
it
thank
ty
and
we
will
bring
that
to
the
attention
and
that
might
be
there
might
be
laws
on
the
books
already
dealing
with
our
minimum
wage
issues,
and
we've
made
a
bold
statement
about
bringing
people
up
to
a
living
wage.
Well,
there
might
be
a
way
to
hold
that
money.
We
pay
off
fees
whatever
court
cars
and
apply
to
some
of
the
restoration.
So
we're
gonna
take
a
look
at
that
as
well.
J
So
I'll
start
with
my
bias,
because
I
love,
Commissioner
I,
love
everything
she
does
and
I
wanted
to
echo
would
what
the
chief
defender
was
saying
and
when
you
talk
about
leadership
and
you
putting
a
round
peg
in
a
round
hole.
I
can't
tell
you
for
those
who
are
listening
in
this
audience
and
they're
going
to
be
many
people
who
may
see
this
on
video.
J
This
is
the
real
deal.
This
is
what
happened
when
somebody
steps
up
and
you
takes
leadership
by
the
helm
and
it's
not
and
not
afraid
to
take
risks
and
not
afraid
to
say
yes,
I
can
be
a
tough
Commissioner
with
four
stars,
but
I
can
have
the
humanity
and
the
respect
and
the
dignity
that
everyone
deserves,
and
so
I
would
be
remiss
if
I
didn't
say
to
you.
You
know
before
you
walk
the
way
of
how
much
I
appreciate
you
I
idolize
the
work
you
do
from
afar.
J
You
are
doing
it
the
way
it
should
be
done.
It's
the
way
that
people
should
be
looking
at
this.
This
problem
in
this
issue,
and
so
I
just
want
to
personally
commend
you
I'm
sure.
I
share
that
with
my
colleagues
and
all
those
are
looking
at
you
when
you
look
at
this
person
here.
This
is
someone
who
is
doing
it
the
way
it
should
be
done
in
a
proper
way,
and
for
that
I
commend
you
thank.
H
K
H
H
We
understand
that
women
come
with
a
myriad
of
challenges
and
the
first
goal
is
always
to
engage
the
individual
to
deescalate
deescalate
by
interacting
with
them,
giving
them
verbal
commands
or
sometimes
separating
them.
If
they
get
in
a
physical
altercation.
We
have
to
be
able
to
separate
folks
immediately
and
stop
any
further
injury
that
may
result
of
them
fighting.
H
The
first
is
de-escalation,
first
and
foremost
always
when
it
continues
and
we've
exhausted
the
escalation
tactics,
pepper
spray,
which
was,
is
a
water-based
solution,
made
up
of
food,
great
ingredients
similar
to
hot
sauce.
We
use
that
to
disperse
separate,
secure
and
get
people
the
treatment
that
they
need.
Now
when
we
say
treatment,
sometimes
it
may
be
a
scratch,
but
we
check
everyone
out.
H
We
evaluate
and
we
investigate
every
single
use
of
force,
but
also
is
twofold:
it
keeps
the
inmate
population
safe
and
it
keeps
the
staff
safe,
because
we
don't
want
physical,
physical
use
of
forces,
and
so,
if
you
spray,
you
disperse
you
decontaminate
by
flushing
of
the
eyes
medical
contractors
take
a
look
assess,
render
any
medical
care
if
necessary
and
we
track
and
investigate
every
single
use
of
force.
We
knew
we
did
not
have
crisis
intervention
training.
We
implemented
that.
Why?
H
Because
we
wanted
the
inmate
population
to
be
safe
and
we
wanted
the
staff
to
be
safe,
we
wanted
to
know
that
de-escalation
works.
You
can
talk
to
people
and
deescalate.
You
can
ask
them
what's
going
on
with
you,
how
can
I
help?
You
is
something
going
on
when
you
hang
up
the
phone
versus
get
off
the
phone.
Now,
it's
like
hey
what
happened.
My
brother
just
got
shot.
Okay,
let
me
get
you
help
now.
That's
part
of
that
de-escalation-
and
this
have
taken
I
mean
such
a
hold
of
it.
That
is
even
boggle.
H
The
inmate
population
that
observed
when
staff
go
on
those
unis
and
they're
talking
to
folks
that
are
clearly
in
a
crisis,
and
the
goal
is
to
de-escalate
with
the
minimal
use
of
force
and
I
appreciate
you
asking
that
question,
because
these
are
all
of
the
efforts
that
are
underway
again:
Prison
Rape,
Elimination
Act
I
have
zero
tolerance,
it's
not
just
the
act.
The
staff
hear
me
say
it
starts
with
me:
zero
tolerance.
We
will
treat
people
with
dignity
and
respect.
We
investigate
all
allegations
and
if
this
found
it
discipline
is
rendered
zero
tolerance.
Yes,.
K
H
Have
two
Human
Service
Program
Administrator:
we
have
a
training
academy
director.
We
have
recently
a
director
of
education
because
I'm
concerned
that
women
take
advantage
of
educational
opportunities
prior
to
release.
I
want
to
increase
those
numbers
of
educational
attainment,
so
that's
one
less
barrier
that
they
have
to
worry
about
when
we're
partnering
and
presenting
job
opportunities,
we're
gonna.
N
Actually,
before
I
continue
with
my
prepared
testimony,
I
want
to
say
how
fortunate
I
am
to
be
sitting
next
to
you
today
and
how
fortunate
we
are
here
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia
to
have
a
Commissioner
of
Prisons,
who
comes
from
a
background
of
restorative
justice,
as
opposed
to
punitive
justice
and
I
want
to
say.
Thank
you.
Thank
you.
So.
N
Good
morning,
chairman
Jones
and
members
of
the
Special
Committee
on
criminal
we've
justice
before
I
am
Javita
Hill
I'm,
an
executive
director
of
the
mayor's
office
of
engagement
for
women
and
the
Philadelphia
Commission
for
women
and
I
appreciate
this
opportunity
to
testify.
Today,
our
our
office
is
committed
to
a
social
justice
agenda
that
promotes
civic
educational
and
economic
policies
that
enhance
the
lives
of
women
and
girls.
N
Our
offices,
under
the
mayor's
office
of
public
engagement,
that
includes
the
office
of
civic
engagement
and
volunteer
services,
the
office
of
black
male
engagement,
the
office
of
youth
engagement,
the
Millennial
Advisory
Committee,
and
the
mayor's
Commission
on
asian-american
affairs.
We
are
committed
to
approaching
public
policy
from
an
intersectional
lens
that
respects
he
considers
variables
of
race,
ethnicity,
class,
gender,
gender
expression,
age,
disability
and
even
zip
codes,
as
some
of
the
many
ways
that
influence
how
we
experience
inequality.
N
Our
office
embraces
a
participatory
stakeholder
model
of
meaningful
public
engagement
that
informs
consults,
involves,
collaborates
and
ultimately
empowers
the
end
users
of
our
public
engagement
and,
to
put
this
more
simply
and
relevant
to
why
we
are
here
today,
is
that
our
advocacy
on
behalf
of
incarcerated
and
formerly
incarcerated
women
is
informed
by
the
women
themselves.
We
believe
that
women
with
lived
experience
are
the
experts
in
providing
the
most
astute
policy
and
legislative
recommendations
that
would
improve
outcomes.
N
Their
recommendations
included
ending
cash
bail,
more
transitional
housing
options
that
would
allow
women
to
live
with
their
families
and
PHA
homes,
fair
employment,
offering
a
living
wage
education
opportunities,
including
banning
the
box
from
college
and
university
applications,
more
lenient
family
reunification
policies,
so
that
incarcerated
mothers
have
more
time
to
spend
with
their
children
and
the
need
for
mentoring
during
incarceration
and
after
release.
Our
report
was
distributed
to
each
council
member
earlier
in
the
year
and,
as
required
by
law,
was
delivered
to
the
chief
clerk.
Our
2018
report
is
also
available
online.
N
Let
me
repeat
that
most
of
the
women
who
are
sitting
at
Riverside
are
waiting
trial,
they've
not
been
convicted,
and
so,
when
you
couple
this
with
80
percent
of
incarcerated
women,
who
are
also
mothers,
you
have
a
system
that
exacerbates
the
impact
of
incarceration
on
women
and
their
children.
It
is
if
it
is
as
if
children
are
serving
a
prison
term,
along
with
their
mothers.
I
think
we
can
do
better
than
this
I
urge
this
body
to
listen
to
the
suggestions
from
formerly
incarcerated
women
hear
their
stories
hear
their
recommendations
about
the
support
services.
N
They
need
to
be
Hall.
Let
them
know
that
you
support
policies
and
reasons
for
them
to
live
their
lives
with
dignity
that
is
deserving
of
all
human
beings.
I
urge
that
the
criminal
justice
reforms
that
this
committee
champions
are
those
that
are
restorative
rather
than
punitive
report.
Reforms
that
place
a
priority
on
family
unification
rather
than
family
separation.
For
too
long,
the
circumstances
and
needs
of
incarcerated
women
have
remained
in
the
shadows.
Thank
you
for
this
opportunity
for
bringing
these
issues
into
the
light.
G
E
G
Too,
that
the
first
thing
I
noticed
was
that
there
was
a
law
in
the
books
that
required
women
to
be
sentenced
if
they
were
convicted
of
the
felony
to
the
maximum
sentence
allowed
by
law.
You're,
probably
shocked
to
hear
that
I
was
shocked
to
find
that
out.
I
was
also
shocked
to
find
out
that
nobody's
ever
done
anything
about
it,
so
I
was
able
to
bring
cases
and
have
that
law.
G
The
Munsey
Act
declared
unconstitutional
there's
a
whole
long,
interesting
history,
that
about
how
women
eventually
got
to
be
sentenced
by
this
on
the
same
law
that
applies
to
men
and
took
a
while,
but
we
were
in
the
end
successful
because
a
man
decided
that
he
would
like
to
be
sentenced
under
the
Munsey,
odd
and
because,
theoretically,
under
that
act,
it
never
happened.
But
theoretically,
you
could
be
paroled
the
day
after
you
were
sentenced
because
there
was
no
minimum
sentence,
only
a
flat
maximum
sentence
and
when
a
man
asked
to
be
certain
under
the
Munsey
act.
G
The
Supreme
Court
finally
said
enough
of
this.
Everybody
will
be
sentenced
under
the
same
law,
but
it's
very
interesting
that
women
have
low
weight.
Always
been
on
the
short
end
of
the
criminal
justice
system,
and
one
of
the
reasons
is
that,
despite
the
fact
that
there
has
been
this
enormous
increase
in
incarcerated
women
anywhere
from
700,
a
100
percent
increase
between
the
start
of
the
war
on
drugs,
which
was
the
cause
of
a
lot
of
it
in
the
70s
and
the
late
90s,
the
numbers
are
going
down
now
for
everything.
G
Fortunately,
but
despite
that,
they
still
only
comprise
about
10%
of
the
total
prison
population
so
compared
to
men.
This
is
true
in
Philadelphia,
if
you
look
at
how
many
women
are
incarcerated
compared
to
how
many
men,
women
are
about
10
percent
and
that's
true
nationally,
and
because
of
that
women
have
been
declared
to
be
statistically
insignificant.
This
is
a
phrase
I
learned
when
I
was
general
counsel
and
secretary
of
the
state
parole
board
back
in
the
70s
and
I
was
at
a
meeting
about
grants.
G
G
District
attorney
Kroszner
has
asked
me
to
head
a
task
force
to
ensure
access
to
justice
for
women
and
girls,
and
we
have
embarked
on
a
year-long
mission
to
gather
the
necessary
data
to
deal
with
such
subjects
as
who
are
the
women
who
become
involved
in
the
system.
What
is
their
life
experience?
How
do
our
sentencing
practices
discriminate
against
women
when
we
treat
women?
G
The
same
as
we
treat
men
are,
we
actually
treating
them
unequally,
because
it's
been
pointed
out
by
people
over
the
years
is
that
equal
treatment
is
not
the
same
as
appropriate
treatment
and
and
treating
people.
The
same
doesn't
mean
you're
treating
them.
Equally,
especially
when
you
compare
the
differences
between
women
and
men
who
get
involved
in
the
criminal
justice
system.
We
all
know.
Yes,
there
are
some
that
are
the
same.
G
There
are
violent
women
just
like
there
are
violent
men
and
there
are
women
who
enjoy
embarking
on
a
life
of
crime
like
economic
crimes
and
things
of
that
nature,
and
we
we
understand
that.
But
when
you
look
at
the
women
who
end
up
in
prison,
these
women
share
a
common
life
experience
usually
which
they
have
all
been
the
subject
of
some
kind
of
abuse,
psychological,
physical,
sexual,
sometimes
all
three,
they
all
have
very
low
self-worth,
which
makes
it
very
difficult
to
make
them
believe
that
they're
entitled
to
be
better
than
they
are.
G
Some
people
who
work
in
the
prison
have
told
me
that
it's
difficult
sometimes
to
get
women
to
come
to
the
programs
that
are
available
because
a
lot
of
them
just
don't
feel
entitled.
If
you
can
imagine
that,
we
want
to
look
at
what
prison
rules,
regulation
and
practices
need
to
be
changed
to
really
treat
women
equally
to
the
staff
of
women's
prisons
need
specialized
training
in
dealing
with
trauma.
Do
we
really
need
to
incarcerate
pregnant
women?
Do
we
have
to
incarcerate
lactating
women
I?
G
G
We,
you
know
other
people
have
spoken
this
morning
about
the
problems
of
separating
mothers
and
children
and
I'm
not
going
to
elaborate
on
that.
You
know
about
that.
You
know
we
criticize
the
Trump
administration
for
separating
families
and
yet
we're
doing
the
same
thing
in
many
ways.
So
we
have
to
stop
doing
that
and
we
have
to
look
for
alternatives.
G
Also,
women
in
prison
usually
suffer
from
lack
of
a
support
system
because
their
mothers
and
grandmothers
and
aunts
are
busy
taking
care
of
their
children
and
don't
have
time
to
visit
them.
Where
are
men
who
are
in
prison?
Have
a
whole
support
group
made
up
of
all
the
women
in
their
family,
so
there
are
really
significant
differences
between
women
and
men
and
I
am
personally
now
looking
into
something
that
I
hope
will
be
a
partial
solution
about
all
of
our
women
in
state
custody
having
to
be
so
far
away
from
their
families.
G
We're
also
engaging
with
other
institutions
such
as
our
dela
house
and
people
in
New,
York
and
other
places
to
help
us
accomplish
and
look
for
solutions
to
these
problems.
I
look
forward
to
the
opportunity
to
come
back
a
year
from
now
and
maybe
report
on
significant
progress
that
we've
made
in
this
area.
Thank
you
very
much
for
this
opportunity
to
address
you.
Thank.
C
Thank
you
so
much
one.
Thank
you
for
all
of
your
leadership
just
time
and
thank
you
so
much
for
your
leadership
and,
of
course,
for
being
the
first
one
with
the
defender
Association,
which
is
near
and
dear
to
my
heart,
but
I
do
want
to
say
this.
As
a
member
of
this
criminal
justice,
stakeholder
group
and
I
really
took
to
heart
what
you
said:
miss
Hill
about
the
women
that
are
in
their
pretrial.
C
None
of
our
organizations
of
beyond
reproach
and
I
will
say
that
the
defender
Association
can
play
a
better
role
and
ensuring
that
people
are
brought
to
trial
timely,
and
so
these
are
things
that
we
are
looking
at
in
our
system.
In
our
structure
in
our
organization.
Are
there
unnecessary
delays,
and
if
there
are,
we
will
hold
people
accountable
as
well
and
I
know
that
doesn't
always
make
us
the
most
popular.
C
You
know,
executive
directors,
but
it's
necessary,
so
I
think
it's
it's
important
for
leaders
to
cognize
that
we're
not
perfect,
and
we
have
work
to
do
and
we
can't
sugarcoat
some
of
the
things
that
our
own
office
is
perpetuating
that
really
cause
some
of
these
issues.
So
I
am
speaking
honestly
about
those
things,
and
these
are
the
things
that
we
need
to
make
sure
that
we
step
up
and
do
better.
D
Judge,
tam
and
I've
always
admired
your
leadership
in
your
judicial
akuma.
You
know
it's
a
funny
thing.
I
mean
I
was
involved
in
a
group
with
state
representative
waters
where
a
lot
of
women
who
had
men
that
were
incarcerated,
they
got
together
in
a
group
and
they
arranged
for
buses
to
take
themselves
and
their
children
up
to
the
prison.
At
that
time
it
was
Graterford
to
to
see
their
men
and
to
have
the
interaction
of
the
children
with
the
men
in
in
quality
time
and
I.
D
Just
don't
ever
see
something
like
that
happening
for
the
women
or
it
isn't
happening
that
you're
corrected
you.
You
need
to
have
that
support
and
when
you
have
women
that
are
up
there
at
Muncie,
you
need
that
kind
of
organization
where,
where
it's
a
joining
together
to
to
take
families
out
to
see
them
and
to
have
that
good
interactive
time
with
them,
it's
just
my
officers.
G
H
Just
aware
that
the
PA
prison
Society
is
coordinating
that
effort
to
the
state
and
we
have
worked
with
the
PA
prison
Society
for
when
the
uber
drivers
do
come
on
to
campus
their
designate
it
to
an
area
where
there's
easy
identification,
for
they
can
be
dropped
off
and
picked
up.
So
it's
between
the
coordination
with
the
uber
for
PA
prison,
Society
and
then
the
folks
using
septa
or
private
personal
vehicles,
but
not
a
bus.
To
my
knowledge.
D
C
We
have
a
couple
of
panels
that
are
waiting
so
I
want
to
make
sure
that
I
say.
Thank
you
so
much
and
judge
him
and
I
would
love
to
work
with
district
attorney,
krauser
I'm,
really
getting
a
diversionary
program
for
women
who
are
been
domestically
abused
and
had
come
into
this
system
with
a
new
new
charge
related
to
that
I
think
we
said
that
he
would
do
that,
and
I
really
would
love
to
move
forward
on
that.
Now
is
the
time
so
I
really
appreciate
your
testimony.
So.
A
A
A
And
thank
you
all
for
sticking
around.
We
appreciate
it
this.
This
information
does
not
go
into
a
black
hole.
It
goes
into
the
thought
processes
of
everyone
on
this
commission
and
the
other
counts
of
people
in
this
chambers,
because
that's
my
job
to
convey
that
policy
once
I
hear
about
that.
So
welcome
in
any
order.
You
like
state
your
name
for
the
record
and
begin
your
testimony.
Hi.
O
My
name
is
Margaret
sang
good
mornin,
councilman
Jones,
other
council
members
and
member
of
the
special
committee
and
criminal
justice
reform
on
behalf
of
the
Women's
Law
Project
Norma.
Thank
you
think
City
Council
for
the
opportunity
to
be
here
and
to
convene
this
hearing
on
this
important
issue.
The
needs
of
incarcerated
women.
As
I
said,
my
name
is
Margaret
and
I'm
a
staff
attorney
at
the
Women's
Law
Project
we're
a
non-profit
legal
advocacy
organization
with
offices.
Here
in
Philly
and
Pittsburgh.
O
We
seek
to
advance
the
legal
status
of
women,
girls
and
LGBTQ
individuals
through
impact
litigation
and
policy
advocacy.
We've
worked
throughout
the
years
to
improve
conditions
for
incarcerated
women,
which
previously
represented
a
class
of
women
contesting
unconstitutional
and
unsafe
prison
conditions
at
Muncie.
O
We
later
represented
incarcerated
women
prisoners
seeking
compensation
for
deliberate
difference
here
in
Philly,
had
led
to
an
undiagnosed
and
untreated
spread
of
a
drug-resistant
staph
infection
that
disproportionately
affected
those
women
we've
represented
to
pregnant
incarcerated
women
in
civil
rights,
lawsuit,
one
whose
preterm
baby
died
as
a
result
of
the
city's
failure
to
provide
timely
medical
treatment
and
on
who
was
shackled
during
childbirth,
while
at
Cambridge
Springs.
We
also
supported
the
adoption
of
the
healthy
birth
for
incarcerated,
Women
Act
in
2010.
O
So
we
appreciate
being
asked
to
be
here:
I
want
to
acknowledge
that
we
have
made
progress
as
a
city.
As
we've
heard,
the
number
of
women
in
custody
has
dramatically
decreased,
we're
under
400
from
more
than
800
just
a
few
years
ago,
and
you
heard
about
the
mom
mobile
at
Riverside
with
maternity
care
coalition.
That
is
singular
and
unique,
and
wonderful
that
we
have
that
here
in
Philadelphia.
I
do
want
to
highlight,
though,
that
there
is
still
more
to
be
done.
Philadelphia
should
continue
to
decrease
the
number
of
women
who
are
incarcerated.
O
That
80%
number
should
really
go
down.
The
80%
of
women
who
are
at
Riverside
are
pretrial.
That
means
they
haven't
been
having
served
they're,
not
serving
a
sentence
for
a
crime,
so
obviously
that
needs
to
change
for
those
who
remain
incarcerated,
though
I
just
want
to
use
the
remainder
of
my
time
to
highlight
ways
that
we
can
improve
conditions
of
confinement
for
these
women
and
particularly
for
those
who
are
pregnant
or
postpartum.
O
So
this
is
gonna,
be
a
host
of
issues
and
I
know.
There's
a
lot
of
proposals
out
there
to
address
them,
but
I
just
want
to
give
you
the
range
of
things
that
we
should
be
thinking
about
as
we're
thinking
about
incarcerated
women.
So,
first
compared
to
incarcerate
men,
our
women
are
at
an
inherent
disadvantage
because
they
have
to
pay
for
female
specific
necessities
like
bras
and
feminine
hygiene
products.
What's
important
about.
O
That
is
not
just
the
cost,
but
also
the
inherent
power
disadvantage
that
puts
them
at
where
women,
even
if
they
might
not
have
to
pay.
They
still
have
to
ask
for
these
products
that
they
need,
and
that
creates
the
potential
for
embarrassment,
humiliation
and
abuse.
There
was
a
question
about
sexual
assault.
Yes,
it
does
happen.
There
was
a
case
that
was
litigated
at
the
Third
Circuit
is
the
Edie
versus
Sharkey
case
up
in
Berks
County,
a
woman
was
sexually
assaulted.
O
This
does
happen
because
you're
innocent
raishin,
where
someone
has
produced
proportionate
power
over
you,
you're
asking
for
some
feminine
hygiene
products,
and
they
say
yeah
I-
can
give
that
to
you,
but
you're
gonna
have
to
give
me
something
else
in
return,
and
so
these
are
conditions
that
are
simple.
We
can
change
them
and
we
can
make
it
so
that
that's
not
an
inherent
power
advantage,
that's
being
used
to
women's
detriment.
Second
incarcerated
women
require
trauma-informed
and
specialized
medical
care,
including
mental
health
and
substance
use
treatment
as
well
as
gynecologic
obstetric
and
abortion
care.
O
Third
incarcerated
women,
and
particularly
those
who
are
pregnant.
They
should
receive
exercise
opportunities,
adequate
nutrition
and
other
health-related,
accommodations,
fourths,
pregnant
and
postpartum
women
face
dangerous
complications
from
the
use
of
restraints,
such
as
shackling,
and
also
the
pepper-spray
issue
that
we
heard
about
earlier
today.
Fifth
incarcerated
women
often
can't
breastfeed
their
children.
O
We
do
benefit
here
from
the
program
at
Riverside,
but
it
would
be
great
if
there
was
some
way
for
women
and
babies
to
stay
together
so,
but
they
wouldn't
have
to
ship
that
breast
milk
out
six
incarcerated
women
are
often
more
likely
than
incarcerated
men
to
be
parents
and
primary
caretakers.
You've
heard
that
already
and
we
need
to
improve
the
opportunities
for
them
to
spend
time
with
their
children.
O
I
agree
with
whoever
said
earlier
that
this
improves
recidivism
rates,
and
it
really
should
be
something
we
should
be
encouraging,
because
that
continuity
of
relationship
is
so
important
and
I
want
to
address
the
point
made
earlier
about
causes
of
the
rise
in
incarcerated
women.
It
is
true
that
most
women
are
nonviolent
offenders
and
it's
been
fueled
by
this
continued
criminalization
of
minor
drug
offenses
and
so
I
I
think
even
compared
to
the
incarcerated
men
population.
O
Most
of
these
women
are
not
there
for
a
violent
crime,
and
for
that
reason
we
should
be
doing
all
we
can
to
continue
to
allow
them
to
interact
with
the
outside
world.
Seventh
and
finally,
I
just
want
to
touch
on
reentry.
This
is
a
perilous
time
for
formerly
incarcerated
women,
and
we
need
to
take
all
the
steps
we
can
to
promote
successful
reentry
in
today's
opioid
epidemic.
That
is
all
the
more
important
because,
right
after
they're
released,
that's
the
one
they're
high
at
the
highest
risk
of
death
from
drug
overdose.
O
So
we
can,
if
we
can
get
them
access
to
medication,
assisted
treatment
on
the
inside.
That's
been
associated
with
an
85%
reduction
and
drug-related
fatalities
in
the
first
month
after
release.
So
overall
in
responding
to
the
myriad
challenges
that
these
women
face,
I
would
encourage
you,
city,
council,
I'm,
all
these
stakeholders
to
work
together,
along
with
our
local
incarcerated
women's
working
group,
to
enact
policies
and
to
act
change
that
would
meaningfully
improve
these
conditions
of
confinement
for
incarcerated
women.
Thank
you
so
much
thank.
A
P
Yes,
so
good
morning,
esteemed
committee
members,
my
name
is
Evan
throneburg,
my
pronouns.
Are
she
her
I
serve
as
the
deputy
director
of
the
mayor's
office
of
LGBT
apair
affairs
for
the
Kenny
administration?
I
have
come
before
you
today
to
give
some
general
insight
and
information
that
pertains
to
the
experience
of
LGBTQ
individuals
in
incarceration.
P
This
issue
is
one
that
I
have
strongly
invested
in
over
the
course
of
my
entire
tenure
here
at
the
city
and
I'm
excited
to
see
the
committee
the
engaging
in
the
process
of
digging
into
the
complexity
of
it
and
what
needs
to
be
done
to
improve
these
spaces
so
that
they
can
bring
Reformation
according
to
the
2011-2012
national
inmate
survey.
The
latest
survey
done
by
the
Bureau
of
justice
and
was
administered
to
over
92,000
incarcerated
individuals
that
were
16
and
older,
housed
in
adult
prisons,
jails,
ice
and
military
facilities.
P
Lgbtq
individuals
are
incarcerated
at
a
rate
of
about
1,800,
nearly
1,900
in
100,000,
which
is
three
times
the
national
rate
of
the
general
US
population,
42%
of
women
in
prison
and
nearly
36%
of
women
in
jail
identified
as
a
sexual
minority,
and
that
is
having
had
a
sexual
or
romantic
experience
with
someone
who
has
the
same
gender
identity
as
them
in
both
prison
and
jail.
Lesbian
and
bisexual
women
were
sentenced
to
longer
periods
of
time
than
their
straight
identified
counterparts.
P
Also,
to
just
note
that
bisexual
women
between
the
ages
of
about
13
to
24
at
the
highest
rate
of
domestic
violence,
LGBTQ
individuals
are
substantially
more
likely
to
be
subjugated
to
solitary
confinement
with
28
percent
of
currently
incarcerated
lesbian
game,
bisexual
people
being
placed
in
isolation
within
the
past
year
for
trans
individuals.
This
placement
is
frequently
not
connected
to
issues
of
their
own
behavior,
but
rather
for
protection
from
the
general
population,
but
has
a
deleterious
effect
on
their
mental
well-being
and
can
affect
the
outcome
of
their
sentencing.
P
Transgender
people
are
almost
10
times
as
likely
to
be
sexually
assaulted,
while
incarcerated
with
an
estimated
forty
percent
reporting
a
sexual
assault
in
prison
or
jail
in
the
last
year
when
housed
with
men.
As
is
frequently
the
protocol
trans
women
are
13
times
more
likely
than
any
of
the
men
their
house
with
to
be
sexually
assaulted.
These
assaults
are
perpetrated
by
both
other
inmates
and
staff.
The
statistics
I
have
presented
that
are
specific
to
LGBTQ.
P
The
hyper
criminalization
and
punishing
of
sex
workers,
homeless,
individuals,
immigrants,
victims
of
domestic
violence
and
those
suffering
from
addiction
and
mental
health
issues,
as
well
as
the
lack
of
sentencing
alternatives
like
diversion
programs
that
are
competent
and
willing
to
enroll
LGBTQ
individuals.
Many
diversion
programs
do
not
or
openly
admit
they
are
not
competent
or
not
willing
to
take
specifically
trans
folks.
P
The
research
done
and
compiled
on
incarceration
at
all
Ashe
lawns
of
government
has
shown
repeatedly
that
LGBTQ
individuals,
particularly
those
with
challenges
of
mental
health
and
of
color,
are
over-represented
in
this
population,
will
serve
substantially
longer
periods
of
time,
be
held
in
isolation
and
likely
be
the
targets
of
sexual
assault.
With
this
information,
I
encourage
those
here
today
to
push
for
progress
and
reform,
as
it
applies
to
policies,
standards
of
care
and
alternative
programs
like
diversionary
programs
that
are
specifically
target
and
understand
these
populations
needs
in
our
justice
and
prisons.
M
C
Question:
it's
not
really
question,
it's
an
ask
I!
Thank
you
for
your
testimony,
because
that
is
enlightening.
Information
I
know
we
represent
people
in
the
LGBT
community
and
I
think
that
it
would
be
great
if
you
gave
defense
counsel
a
tutorial
or
a
lesson
on
some
of
the
things
that
the
trans
population
does
not
have
access
to.
C
So
when
we
go
before
a
judge,
what
mitigation
and
information
so
that
the
decision
makers
can
make
these
important
decisions,
we
understand
the
context
by
which
the
people
that
we
are
representing
are
either
disengaged
or
disenfranchised
from
really
meaningful,
positive
pro-social
activities,
and
so
I
think
that
this
is
an
education
piece,
not
just
for
the
council
to
do
something
about
it
in
terms
of
legislatively
or
even
funding.
But
this
is
also
a
practical
and
practice
issue
that
I
think
that
everyone
who
is
representing
anyone
in
this
justice
system
needs
to
understand.
J
P
I
will
say
at
the
mayor's
office
of
LGBTQ
Affairs,
as
well
as
on,
which
is
housed
in
the
mayor's
office
of
diversity
inclusion.
We
have
comprehensive
curriculum,
based
training
and
complete
raining
that
we've
designed
and
that
we
retrofit
to
the
spaces
and
departments
that
we
present
it
to
we've,
currently
trained
a
good
portion
or
substantial
portion
of
over
5,000
individuals
at
the
city,
and
so
that
is
something
we're
able
to
roll
out
with
ease.
P
We
do
all
of
the
new
recruits
at
the
police
academy
and
all
first
responders
in
the
fire
department
as
they
are
engaged
in
promotion.
So
that
is
something
that
is.
We
would
love
to
be
able
to
provide
and
also
provide
to
any
number
of
folks
who
work
within
the
city,
but
also
closely
with
the
city
or
contract
with
the
city.
A
A
L
Thank
You
mr.
chair,
it
is
with
a
lot
of
mixed
feelings
that
I
will
be
leaving
my
post
at
the
city
in
two
weeks
time.
It
has
been
a
privilege
to
serve
the
people
of
Philadelphia
serve
on
this
committee
and
in
many
other
roles
with
incredible
partners,
both
within
the
government
agencies
and
in
the
community
of
the
Hindi
advocates,
who
keep
us
informed
and
hold
us
accountable,
as
we
try
to
make
this
better
place,
and
so
I
will
miss
this.
A
lot.
L
L
A
L
C
L
A
D
L
E
Right,
thank
you.
Okay.
Good
afternoon
my
name
is
Lori.
Dumas
I
am
currently
a
Court
of
Common
Pleas
judge
here
in
Philadelphia,
I
am
assigned
to
the
Civil
Division,
while
the
child
division
in
the
science
is
civil
to
civil
cases.
At
this
time.
Thank
you
for
the
opportunity
to
provide
just
a
few
words
or
thoughts
about
juveniles.
I
did
serve
in
the
juvenile
court
for
approximately
16
years,
so
I
will
I
will
say
that.
That's
where
my
passion
and
my
experience
lies.
E
My
heart
is
still
there,
which
is
the
reason
why
I
agreed
to
come
today
just
to
share
a
little
bit
about
my
thoughts
and
my
findings
of
the
current
status
of
the
resources
available
for
females
that
are
in
the
juvenile
system.
Throughout
the
course
of
my
tenure
on
the
bench
in
family
court,
I've
watched
resources
dwindle,
especially
for
females
when
I
came.
There
was
a
disparity
in
services
that
were
available
for
females,
but
the
disparity
grew
as
services.
E
We
went
began
to
dwindle
to
the
point
where,
when
I
asked
some
stakeholders
in
preparation
for
this
hearing
today
about
the
current
status
of
resources
for
juveniles,
I'm
going
to
read
my
two
questions:
that
I
asked
one
from
a
an
administrator
in
probation
and
one
from
an
administrator
from
the
DA's
office,
and
the
question
was:
are
there
any
female
specific
programs
serving
adjudicated
youth
through
Family
Court?
The
answer
from
the
administer
and
probation
was
none.
E
When
I
asked
the
administrator
from
the
DA's
office,
you
know
tell
me
about
programs
that
are
being
utilized
for
adjudicated
female
youth.
The
response
was,
there
are
currently
no
specific
girls
programs
through
Family
Court.
So
what
does
that
mean?
We
know
we
have
young,
ladies,
that
are
that,
come
through
the
court,
both
on
the
dependent
side
and
the
delinquent
side.
But
if
we're
talking
about
criminal
justice,
we're
talking
about
those
on
the
juvenile
justice
side,
so
we're
talking
about
young.
E
Probation
I'm
sure
that
miss
Henderson
will
be
able
to
either
corroborate
or
or
not,
and
those
figures
that
I
received
just
yesterday
so
that
stone
that
stood
out
to
me
first
and
foremost,
because
I
thought
that
those
numbers
were
very
low,
so
either
they're
not
being
arrested
or
the
ones
that
are
being
arrested
are
either
going
through
diversion
programs
or
and/or
they're
being
placed
on
probation,
but
even
wherever
they
fall.
The
question
is:
are
their
needs
really
being
met?
E
Our
daresay?
Not
because
if
we
don't
have
the
programming,
then
what
even
probation?
What
does
that
look
like?
What
does
that
mean?
Does
that
mean
that
a
young
lady
just
has
a
probation
officer
that
she's
checking
in
and
with
every
now,
and
then?
How
does
that
address
the
fact
that
I
believe,
philosophically
every
child
that
comes
through
the
halls
of
the
juvenile
justice
system
are
traumatized
in
some
way,
so
studies
have
shown
that
girls
that
are
in
the
juvenile
justice
system
clearly
have
experienced
some
trauma.
E
So,
if
they're
already,
whether
they're
in
placement
or
on
probation
or
even
through
a
diversion
program,
what
is
being
offered
to
them
to
truly
address
the
trauma
that
has
impacted
them
to
the
point
that
they
end
up
in
our
system,
because
you
and
I
all
of
us
know
that
juveniles
who
are
impacted
by
trauma
become
adults
impacted
by
trauma.
So
we
have
through
juvenile
court
and
I
always
believed
we
had
the
unique
opportunity
to
really
to
make
the
difference
between
the
life
or
that
transition
from
being
a
juvenile
to
an
adult.
E
If
we
did
what
we
were
supposed
to
do.
The
problem
is
that
we
have
a
lot
of
people
in
the
system
when
I
was
there
and
I
know
who
are
still
there,
that
are
very
passionate
about
providing
the
services
that
our
young
people
need,
so
that
they
can
move
into
adulthood,
trauma
free
or
trauma
less,
but
we're
just
people
without
services
that
are
truly
impactful
and
we
all
know
we've
had
services,
we've
had
providers
who
say
they
can
do
this
and
say
who
can
do?
They
can
do
that,
but
the
proof
is
in
the
pudding.
E
The
proof
is
in
the
outcomes
and
when
we
see
you
know
and
I
know
that
we
have
numbers
of
a
wrestler
down
and
things
of
that
nature,
and
even
when
I
was
there,
and
we
would
always-
you
know,
hear
that.
Well,
arrests
are
down.
Well,
we
weren't,
seeing
any
less
young
people
in
our
courtrooms,
so
I'm
not
really
sure
where
the
numbers,
how
they
kind
of
you
know,
messed
with
what
we
were
seeing.
E
But
what
we
were
seeing
were
families
who
were
dysfunctional
and
families
who
had
children
with
significant
needs
that
could
not
be
met
and
the
reason
why
they
could
not
be
met
is
because
the
services
that
existed
then
and
the
services
that
don't
exist
now
are
not
available
to
truly
meet.
The
needs
of
these
kids,
who
are
traumatized
they're
traumatized
by
their
home
lives,
are
traumatized
by
their
communities
they're
traumatized
by
what
happens
in
their
schools
and
unless
we
are
really
serious
about
impacting
criminal
justice.
E
Unless
we
are
really
serious
about
reforming
criminal
justice,
we've
got
to
get
them.
Young
we've
got
to
use
the
systems
that
we
have
to
really
make
the
impact
and
without
services
that
really
mean
what
they
say
and
do
what
they
say
that
they're
supposed
to
do,
which
definitely
includes
trauma-informed
care
from
the
time
they
walk
into
the
door
until
the
time
they
walk
out.
Everybody
in
our
system
needs
to
be
trained
on
trauma-informed
care
and
I
know
that
these
are
kind
of
buzzwords
that
are
being
kind
of
thrown
out
into
the
air.
A
I'm
not
biased
your
any
questions,
because
your
statements
speak
for
themselves,
I'll.
Let
mr.
Rojas
ask
the
question,
but
I
just
want
to
thank
you
for
taking
the
time
away
from
civil
to
come
back
and
refresh
what
you've
learned
over
the
last
15
years
and
I.
If
I
take
nothing
away
from
what
you
said
is
paradigm
shift,
we
once
were
more
Quaker
oriented
in
our
justice
application
for
for
the
children's
benefit
and
what
we've
drifted
away
from
in
that
regard
is:
is
a
pipeline
from
childhood
to
adult
I'll?
A
A
Yes,
the
injury
brother
Bethel
over
there
said
I
think
right
here
and
did
a
20-minute
tirades,
never
forget
and
and
totally
changed
how
fees
and
fines
were
appropriated
to
poor
folk
who
had
to
manage
some
of
these
children
in
crisis
in
your
courts
so
understand
what
you're
telling
us
actually
does
trickle
into
public
policy.
So
we're
grateful
for
that.
Sharon
young
judge.
J
To
is
having
a
question
for
you.
Yes,
the
School
District
of
Philadelphia
is
responsible
for
the
education
of
children
and
young
adults
who
are
in
direct
file
to
provide
the
education.
My
wife
was
the
psychologist
to
you
Study
Center,
and
that
was
through
the
School
District
of
Philadelphia.
What
else
does
the
School
District
of
Philadelphia
doing
to
address
some
of
the
issues
that
you
that
you
just
raised?
That's.
E
A
great
question
what
I
would
say
and
maybe
Rachel
in
her
presentation
will
have
some
more
answers,
but
I
will
say
that
the
time
that
I
was
there,
the
school
district
provided
little
partnerships,
little
partnership,
involvement
with
our
our
youth.
They
did
the
bare
minimum
as
it
related
to
education.
E
At
one
point,
they
were
sort
of
involved
in
the
truancy
project
that
we
had,
but
that
dwindled
away
and
I
will
tell
you
that
it
really
depends
on
the
administration
at
the
time
that
determines
how
involved
the
other
stakeholders
are
actually
participating
with
our
at-risk
youth,
all
right
risk
youth
are
sort
of
in
a
box
and
the
other
stakeholders
kind
of
decide
how
much
they're
going
to
participate,
depending
on
the
leadership
and
depending
on
the
philosophy.
I
can
remember.
E
Remember
because
judge
Daugherty
at
justice
Daugherty
now
but
Judge
doctor
at
the
time,
was
the
administrative
judge,
and
so
we
looked
at
each
other
at
the
end
of
the
at
the
end
of
the
presentation
and
asked
I
asked
what
happens
to
a
what
category
or
place
do
our
children
here
fit
in
and
his
response
candidly
was
well.
Actually,
there
is
no
place
for
them
so
mind
you
that
was
ballast
he's
no
longer
in
charge,
but
I,
don't
I
have
not
necessarily
seen
a
whole
major
shift
from
that
philosophy,
as
it
relates
to
the
school
district.
E
C
Yet
in
the
programming
options
for
courts
to
say,
hey,
we
found
something
that
matches
this
and
suits
this
young
lady's
challenges
needs
and,
of
course,
prospects
of
them
being
a
young
well-adjusted,
woman
and
I'm
really
really
interested
in.
How
do
we
bring
programs
and
I'm
going
to
shut
up
soon,
so
I
want
Jasmine
to
really
talk
about
it.
How
do
we
bring
programs
to
light
so
that
the
probation
not
Department,
can
be
funneling
kids
into
these
pro-social
activities
that
really
really
work?
C
You
have
women
like
Jasmine,
who
are
just
like
she
gets
it,
and
she
has
these
young
ladies,
and
they
are
confident
they
are
fearless
Tarrant
tireless
and
they
are
going
to
be
our
future
leaders.
So
I
really
would
love
for
our
City
Council
to
really
get
with
whoever
the
decision-makers
for
the
programming
to
bring
new
programming
in
bring
people
in
and
talk
about
their
programs
and
how
it's
been
working,
because
sometimes
we
have
program
providers
that
we
don't
hold
accountable
for
our
the
recidivism
rates
going
down.
C
E
Leadership
of
the
courts
as
well
as
of
DHS,
have
to
be
open
to
partnerships
with
community
agencies
and
teas
that
are
providing
the
services.
There
are
community
services
out
there.
My
daughter
was
in
one
of
the
in
Jasmine
program
for
a
little
while
and
so
I
understand
the
importance
of
working
with
the
community,
but
I'm
not
in
charge.
So
those
who
are
in
charge
have
to
embrace
outsiders
who
are
passionate
and
willing
and
able
to
do
the
work
and
because
what
we
can't
do
it
in
a
vacuum.
The
system
can't
do
it
by
itself.
D
D
It
has
been
an
open
mind
on
both
sides
and
that's
one
of
the
reasons
why
I
write
about
criminal
justice
reform
because
from
the
judicial
side
and
the
prison
side,
it's
it's
so
important
for
our
society
to
to
to
wrong
to
right
these
wrongs
that
have
taken
place
with
so
many
people
within
it
from
the
children
and
the
families.
All
the
way
up.
You
know
you're
so
totally
correct.
Thanks.
E
J
I
J
E
Rachel
actually
was
part
of
the
team
that
started
rapport.
I,
don't
know
she's
to
talk
about
it.
Rapport
does
exist.
I
will
say
that,
just
like
any
anything
when
you
have
a
leadership,
every
leader
is
different,
and
so
the
the
fire
around
the
issue
of
human
trafficking,
as
relates
to
juveniles
in
in
Philadelphia
and
through
family
court,
is,
is
a
little
it's
different,
because
the
leader
is
different
and,
and
everybody
leads
differently.
What
I
will
say
is.
E
Is
that
my
hopes
for
the
rap
court,
which
is
working
to
restore
adolescents
power,
that
my
hope
for
that
was
that
we
would
be
much
the
court
would
be
much
further
in
its
impact
than
it
than
it
is
right
now
the
court
does
still
exist.
I
don't
have
an
opportunity
to
participate
anymore
because
of
my
change
in
assignment,
and
so
I
have
to
do
my
work
outside
of
the
court
system.
E
So
but
the
the
stakeholders
never
really
got
the
opportunity
to
fully
work
together
as
a
team
to
make
the
impact
that
we
should
be
making,
as
it
relates
to
to
the
issue
so
I'm,
hoping
that
that
will
change
and
that
you
know
it
will
pick
up
some
speed
again
and
and
and
create
positive
outcomes
for
for
human
trafficking.
Survivors.
E
M
E
Q
We
heard
poignant
testimony
earlier
when
we
were
to
hearing
from
the
the
women
in
the
first
panel
I
firmly
believe
that,
whenever
possible,
pregnant
and
newly
parenting,
mothers
should
not
be
incarcerated.
Instead,
we
should
provide
access
to
diversion
programming
that
includes
evidence-based
home
visiting
that
supports
and
promotes
the
success
of
the
mother
and
the
bond
between
her
and
her
children.
The
mama
Beal
program
at
the
Riverside
Correctional
Facility
is
designed
to
meet
the
unique
needs
of
mothers
during
their
time
of
incarceration
and
for
up
to
one
year
after
release.
Q
Our
program
includes
educational
groups
for
pregnant
women
and
new
moms,
individual
case
management
services
and
support
for
babies,
caregivers
in
collaboration
with
the
Philadelphia
Department
of
prisons.
We
have
also
established
a
unique
program
for
women
who
deliver
a
baby
while
incarcerated,
which
includes
a
doula
or
labor
support
and
the
opportunity
to
express
breast
milk
and
transport
and
transport
it
to
the
baby
upon
release
from
Riverside.
We
transition
to
a
home
visiting
model
in
which
we
support
mothers
in
accessing
community-based
services
and
benefits
and
assists
mothers
in
reuniting
with
their
children.
Q
The
goal
of
our
program
is
to
help
women
stay
connected
to
their
children.
One
MCC
client
Ayane
was
on
her
way
to
earning
a
business
degree
at
Philadelphia,
Community
College
when
she
was
arrested,
leaving
behind
a
son
the
day.
She
also
found
out
that
she
was
three
months
pregnant
while
serving
time
at
Riverside
Ayana
was
determined
to
stay
strong
for
the
sake
of
her
son
and
new
baby.
So
she
enrolled
in
our
mama
Beal
program.
Ayanna's
incarceration
was
particularly
difficult
for
her
young
son.
She
was
I
quote,
it
was
real.
Q
She
said,
I
quote,
it
was
really
hard
because
he
would
cry
then
he'd
write
me
letters
and
I'd
write
letters
through
mama
Beall.
His
dad
was
going
through
a
thing
too
because
he
used
to
he
was
used
to
me
being
around.
It
was
hard
for
both
of
them.
Unquote,
Ayane
served
a
few
months
while
waiting
waiting
trial,
and
we
heard
about
the
very
long
time
that
so
many
of
the
women
at
the
Riverside
Correctional
Facility
of
their
before
they're,
actually,
you
know,
go
to
trial
and
was
ultimately
released
once
the
charges
were
dropped.
Q
Ayane
gave
birth
shortly
after
her
release
and
she
was
on
the
phone
with
her
MCC
advocate
Bridgette
during
the
birth
of
her
baby
I,
honest
story
is
just
one
example
of
the
impact
of
incarceration
on
mothers
and
families.
Last
year,
103
women
received
services
through
Memorial
at
Riverside
program.
It
is
worth
noting
that,
as
we've
heard
earlier,
eighty-one
percent
of
all
women
at
Riverside
are
pretrial.
This
is
particularly
problematic
for
women
for
pregnant
and
newly
parenting.
Q
Women,
as
the
incarceration
of
a
parent
is
considered
an
adverse
childhood
experience,
and
it's
quoted
on
the
personal
testimony
what
the
ACA
state,
where
that
comes
from
I'm,
deeply
troubled
by
the
notion
of
breaking
up
a
family
or
taking
a
new
newborn
baby
away
from
its
mother,
simply
because
she's
not
able
to
make
bail.
As
we
know,
the
criminal
justice
system
was
not
built
with
women
in
mind,
and
it
was
certainly
not
designed
to
accommodate
pregnant
women.
Q
Additionally,
we
know
that
many
incarcerated
women
have
experienced
multiple
forms
of
trauma,
so
we
strongly
recommend
all
correctional
facility
staff
be
trained
in
providing
trauma-informed
care
and
I
totally
agree
with
what
you're
saying,
based
on
our
expertise
and
following
our
recent
forum
on
understanding
incarceration,
multi-generational
impact
on
women,
girls
and
communities
held
in
collaboration
with
the
Stoney
foundation.
We
identified
three
proposed
reforms
and
are
that
are
particularly
promising.
Q
However,
we
encourage
the
city
of
Philadelphia
and
the
Commonwealth
of
Pennsylvania
to
take
meaningful
steps
to
address
the
root
causes
as
to
why
pregnant
and
newly
parenting
women
end
up
in
the
criminal
justice
system
in
the
first
place,
whenever
possible,
let's
keep
mothers
and
their
children
together
and
provide
comprehensive
support,
including
evidence-based
home
visiting
services,
in
order
to
reduce
and
prevent
the
long
impact
long-lasting
impact
of
incarceration
on
women,
children,
families
and
communities.
Thank
you
for
this
opportunity
to
speak
with
you
today.
C
I'm
gonna
go
with
Rachel
Henderson,
really
quickly,
Rachel.
If
you
can
highlight
some
of
the
main
areas
of
your
testimony.
I
know:
we've
been
here
for
a
little
while,
but
I
want
to
make
sure
that
we
get
the
the
gist
of
it
and
I
know.
Most
of
the
information
is
kind
of
common
between
judge,
Dumas
and
yourself
and
as
well
as
that,
and
because
we
want
to
hear
some
of
the
solution
in
turn
of
community
opportunities
as
well.
Okay,.
R
Rachel
Henderson
and
I'm,
an
attorney
with
the
defender
Association
of
Philadelphia
messiaen
to
the
children
and
youth
unit.
At
this
time,
been
with
the
defender
Association
for
17
years,
I've
probably
represented
children
for
16
of
those
years
or
15
of
those
years,
I've
been
at
the
defender.
I
spent
a
lot
of
time,
Honorable
Lori
Dumas
in
her
courtroom,
I
was
here
to
talk
about
incarceration
of
children.
We
have
three
different
types
of
places.
We
send
our
children
to
basically
in
the
juvenile
system,
residential
treatment
facilities.
R
This
you
basically
need
a
prescription
by
psychiatrists
ago
says
your
mental
health
needs
our
best
men
or
can
best
be
treated
in
this
type
of
facility.
If
anybody
remembers,
we
had
one
in
the
city
of
Philadelphia
that
was
wordsworth.
That
facility
is
now
closed
because
a
child
died.
There
Philadelphia
also
contracts
with
facilities
that
are
thousands
of
miles
away
in
New,
Mexico
and
Arkansas.
Imagine
if
you
are
a
child
being
sent
thousands
of
miles
away
from
your
home
to
get
help.
Imagine
if
that
is
your
child,
that
they
have
sent
a
thousand
miles
away.
R
We
also
have
a
one
secure
facility
for
girls
in
the
state
of
Pennsylvania.
At
this
time
it
is
Danville.
Danville
is
currently
the
subject
of
a
lawsuit
by
the
Disability
Rights
Project
for
the
abuse
of
children.
Disability
Rights
went
to
visit
the
girls
at
that
facility.
They
got
them
to
sign
releases
for
all
of
their
information,
so
disability
rights
could
represent
them
in
this
suit.
The
staff
at
Danville
then
convinced
those
children,
those
girls
to
rescind
those
to
rescind
those
releases.
R
At
that
time,
I
personally
went
back
up
to
Danville
as
a
member
of
the
defender
Association
and
had
those
girls
resign
those
releases
as
a
result
that
lawsuit
has
proceeded
and
we're
in
the
process
of
negotiation
negotiating
with
why
to
see
Danville
to
make
the
changes
that
we
need
to
make
for
those
children.
In
addition,
we
only
are
left
with
one
other
facility
for
girls
and
fellow
perfect
in
Philadelphia
its
new
outlook,
Academy.
That
is
five
hours
away
when
you
send
a
child
three
or
five
hours
away
from
home.
R
Not
only
are
they
looking
at
people
that
don't
look
like
them
and
they
are
separating
from
the
people
that
they
love.
These
children
are
also
stripped
from
their
families
and
then
the
family
is
affected,
because
now,
if
there's
any
kind
of
benefits
coming
into
that
home,
mom
loses
those
benefits.
Grandma
loses
those
benefits.
Now
you've
created
a
housing
problem.
The
child
no
longer
has
a
place
to
return
to.
If
many
of
our
parents
and
families
are
working
on
hourly
wage
jobs,
they
don't
have
predictable
schedules.
R
They
cannot
take
a
three
to
five
hour
trip
to
visit
children.
Then
everybody
in
the
system
is
judging
them
as
bad
parents,
and
now
this
child
cannot
return
to
the
home
of
their
parents,
because
mom
couldn't
make
it,
because
she
also
has
five
young
kids.
She
has
to
take
care
of.
You
can't
put
five
toddlers
on
a
bus.
That's
three
hours
to
five
hours
away.
Has
anybody
tried
that
I
mean?
That
is
a
difficult
thing
to
do?.
R
Look
when
you
send
a
child
to
secure
placement,
they
are
transported
in
shackles.
Our
girls
are
transported
in
shackles
when
they
arrive
to
a
place
that
has
barbed
wire
around
it,
and
they
are
told
this
is
the
place.
That's
going
to
help
you.
They
walk
you
into
a
room
and
they
strip-searched
you.
Our
girls
have
been
raped.
They
do
not
deserve
to
be
stripped
searched
by
strangers.
R
Staff
members
are
allowed
to
use
her
strength.
If
you
view
any
of
the
videos
of
how
they
restrain
our
children,
I
had
I
had
one
girl,
she
was
85
pounds.
A
225
pound
male
took
her
to
the
ground
because
she
did
not
want
to
talk
to
him
anymore
about
her
own
sexual
abuse.
The
next
day,
the
same
staff
member
and
another
200
pound
male
restrained
her
again,
we
were
lucky
that
she
was
being
supervised
by
a
judge
that
immediately
pulled
her
out
of
that
facility.
But
not
every
judge
will
do
that
in
family
court.
R
If
you
saw
those
videos
if
it
occurred
and
if
outside
of
a
facility,
those
men
would
have
been
arrested
for
assault,
if
you
attacked
your
own
child,
like
that
in
your
home,
you
would
lose
custody
of
your
child
and
you
would
likely
be
arrested
and
spend
time
on
State
Road.
We
took
a
look
at
some
of
the
girls
that
were
in
placement
April
of
2019.
At
that
time
we
had
17
girls
in
placement
that
are
represented
by
the
defender.
Association
all
of
the
girls
were
girls
of
color.
R
They
were
placed
on
technical
violations
of
probation,
69%
of
them.
69%
of
them
only
had
misdemeanor
charges
of
the
17
defender,
clients,
60%
had
been
restrained
in
placement.
Most
girls
in
these
facilities
are
going
for
technical
violations
of
their
probation
they're
going
because
they
did
not
attend
school
or
because
they
violated
GPS
their
place
on
GPS
you're
supposed
to
have
a
curfew,
you're
supposed
to
be
in
a
home.
The
last
girl
I
want
to
see
she
had
left
her
foster
home
I
asked
why
she
left.
R
She
said
because
the
boy
in
the
home
I
was
afraid
of
him
that
he
was
going
to
sexually
assault.
Me
I
said
well.
Did
you
report
this
to
anybody?
She
said
no
I
didn't
want
to
go
through
that
again.
She
had
previously
been
sexually
assaulted,
emplacement.
She
had
to
tell
her
story
endlessly.
She
was
moved
from
placement
to
placement.
She
was
essentially
punished
for
being
a
victim,
so
she
chose
just
to
leave
the
home
at
that
time.
R
Another
young
lady
violated
her
GPS
due
to
the
fact
that
she
couldn't
stay
in
the
home
anymore,
because
her
mother
had
approximately
15
other
people
living
in
the
home,
and
one
of
them
was
her
uncle
who
smoked
wet.
She
said,
I
can't
stand.
The
smell.
I
cannot
stand
to
be
in
that
home
all
day.
You
don't
understand
how
chaotic
it
is.
I
asked
her
about
khua
who's,
the
community
of
breath,
umbrella
agency.
That's
supposed
to
service
her
home
I
said
it
was
cool
aware
of
these
people.
Her
response
was
Miss
Rachael.
R
All
the
workers
that
come
to
my
home
only
talked
to
me
on
my
porch.
These
agencies
are
supposed
to
be
there
to
protect
our
children
and
they're,
not
even
entering
the
home.
I
have
another
young
lady
who
was
not
attending
school
turns
out
the
school
couldn't
accommodate
the
needs
of
her
educational
plan.
She
said
to
me:
why
should
I
go
all
they
do
is
suspend
me
and
I'm,
not
learning
anything
I.
R
R
What
would
we
done
at
the
defender
Association
at
this
point?
We
have
implemented
project
success.
This
is
a
grant.
We
got
for
a
hundred
and
fifty
thousand
dollars
to
edge
to
address
the
school-to-prison
pipeline
in
Philadelphia
through
an
innovation.
Through
this,
we
one
of
the
goals
of
project
success
is
to
address
the
school
push
out
an
adult.
If
occasionally,
I
can
Brown
girls
looking
at
the
different
needs
of
our
girls
in
the
system,
including
girls
Center
trauma
for
care,
so
we
can
appropriately
address
their
needs
and
keep
them
from
penetrating
the
system.
R
We
have
an
education
who
attorney
who
attends
review
and
disposition
hearings
in
Family
Court
to
explain
to
the
court
what
is
going
on
in
our
school
system
and
how,
every
day
the
school
system
is
violating
federal
and
state
law.
When
it
comes
to
our
kids,
she
has
been
successful
in
keeping
our
kids
helping
to
keep
our
kids
out
of
placement
due
to
the
fact
that
she's
been
able
to
attend
disciplinary
hearings
to
event
our
children
from
being
expelled
from
school
and
to
make
sure
the
schools
are
implementing
their
IEP
s
appropriately.
R
R
We
also
have
a
psychiatric
fellow
from
Penn,
who
works
with
us
to
create
community-based
plans
to
keep
our
girls
out
of
placement.
I
say
this
has
been
a
success
at
this
point,
because
at
this
time
the
defender
Association
only
has
three
girls
in
delinquent
placement.
However,
we
are
struggling
at
JJ
SC.
We
have
23
girls
as
of
today
being
held
awaiting
our
TF
placements
evaluation
so
that
we
can
figure
out
their
needs,
so
they
can
be
placed
in
the
community
and
we're
waiting
for
DHS
to
pick
many
of
them
up
and
cool
workers.
R
They
just
sit
there
all
for
long
periods
of
time,
because
their
health
I
would
ask
that
city
councils
take
a
look
at
the
money
that
is
being
spent
on
our
children.
The
last
number
I
got
for
the
call
of
state
placement
was
approximately
160,000
dollars
a
year.
I
think
that
money
could
be
better
spent
on
keeping
our
girls
in
the
community
and
in
our
in
their
homes
placements
should
be
required
to
provide
all
restraint.
R
Videos
to
counsel
DHS
should
interview
any
child
that
is
restrained
in
a
facility
shortly
after
it
happens,
they
should
not
wait
if
there
are
any
child
lines.
Counsel
should
be
appointed
immediately
to
be
told
immediately
about
child
lines,
and
all
children
should
be
interviewed
at
following
incarceration.
Part
of
the
problem
is
we
have
not
held
these
facilities
accountable
at
this
time.
We've
closed
two
of
them
due
to
their
abuse
of
children.
That
was
the
defender
Association,
who
got
those
facilities
closed,
we're
the
ones
that
got
the
videos.
R
We
are
the
ones
that
took
them
to
DHS
and
called
these
placements
two
tasks
for
harming
our
children.
I
think
that
one
of
the
biggest
things
we
need
to
do
is
also
to
stop
incarcerated
these
pregnant
girls
and
teen
mothers.
It
is
horrible
to
send
a
child
away
to
York
County
to
have
a
baby
away
from
her
family
and
she
will
have
limited
or
if
any,
contact
with
the
father
of
a
child
that
destroys
families
I
think
we
need
to
see
our
girls.
We
need
to
hear
for
them.
R
C
Want
to
say
thank
you
so
much
for
that
testimony,
I'm,
totally
biased,
because
I
know
the
work
that
the
defender
Association
does.
But
this
is
why
I
love
when
practitioners
come
to
the
table
with
some
of
the
understanding
of
what's
actually
happening,
we're
not
talking
about
policy
alone,
we're
talking
about
practitioners,
direct
service
providers
and
so
I.
Thank
you
for
your
insight
for
your
KnowledgeTree.
Until
I
and
most
of
all,
your
hard
work
and
dedication
to
the
youth
in
our
system,
I
mean
your
testimony
in
the
judges.
Testimony
mirror
each
other.
C
When
we're
talking
about
the
problems
and
I
think
we
know
placement
is
not
the
answer
for
every
kid,
and
if
we
can
do
some
pre-entry
prevention
on
real
community
supports,
then
we
can
get
to
the
heart
of
in
the
root
of
the
causes
that
are
making
our
youth
so
angry,
so
much
more
violent
violating
in
terms
of
the
way
they
look
at
themselves
and
see
themselves
in
society
and
what
we're
doing
is
not
that's
a
good
return
on
our
investment.
I
hope
that
that
was
clear
through
her
testimony.
R
Pay
for
if
I
could
just
say
this
I'm
told
kids
can't
come
out
of
placement
until
they
finish
one
group
thinking
for
a
change.
There
are
no
statistics
available
in
Philadelphia
that
shows
that
program
works,
prevents
reentry
or
prevents
further
out
of
home
placements.
We're
told
consistently
that
FFT
family
functional
therapy
is
the
best
program
around
I
have
yet
to
see
a
number
that
shows
that
it
affects
the
level
of
delinquency
in
this
city.
I
think
that
if
you're
going
to
do
community
based
programming,
it
should
not
be
tied
to
the
courts
at
all.
R
I
think
the
problem
is
that
stigmatizes
girls
and
it
has
these
kind
of
fly-by-night
problems,
because
funding
for
girls
I
mean
they're
gonna,
tell
me
at
DHS,
tomorrow
or
next
week
that
there's
not
a
problem
with
the
girls,
because
we
only
have
the
only
three
of
your
clients,
our
emplacement.
Well,
that
number
should
be
zero.
E
There
was
a
an
initiative
that
Philadelphia
was
a
part
of
years
ago
and
I
know
Commissioner,
methanol
Bethel
would
remember
the
je
Dai
strategy,
where
the
whole
movement
was
to
to
decrease.
Secure
placement
for
juveniles
in
jurisdictions
and
Philadelphia
was
one
of
those
jurisdictions.
I
was
heavily
involved
initially,
because
I
wanted
to
I
wanted
to
learn
how
to
serve
our
kids
and
not
have
to
send
them
to
secure
placement.
E
I
fell
off
because
we
went
to
meeting
after
meeting
after
meeting
in
Philadelphia,
for
whatever
reason
wasn't
able
to
truly
grasp
the
philosophy,
because
the
issue
for
judges
is
that
we
need
an
alternative,
we
need
alternatives.
We
need
viable
alternatives
to
help
kids
be
accountable
for
their
actions,
but
also
to
have
their
needs
met,
and
we
realized
as
well
that
placement
lots
of
times
was
not
the
answer,
but
we
had
no
choices.
We
had
a
school
district
that
was
failing.
E
We
had
kids
who
were
in
dysfunctional
homes
and
communities
that
were
harming
them
and
lots
of
times.
We
felt
like
okay
well,
at
least
if
they're
in
placement
they're
gonna
go
to
school,
so
at
least
we
can
get
them
in
an
environment
where
they
can
get
an
education
so
that
when
they
come
out,
they
can
get
a
job.
Well,
you
know
that
that
shouldn't
be
the
only
reason
why
a
judge
signs
an
order
sending
the
kids
to
placement.
E
A
That's
a
great
segue
for
Jasmin's
program,
but
let
me
just
say
one
thing
that
the
good
news
of
what
I've
heard
here
is
that
there
was
a
common
passion
to
get
it
done.
The
bad
news
that
I
hear
here
is
that
two
things
happen:
one
peanut
butter
doesn't
know,
jelly
exists
and
they
haven't
gotten
together
and
quantifying
what
good
is
and
how
much
it
costs
elevating
those
things
that
are
successful
and
and
kind
of
eliminating
the
things
that
aren't,
even
if
they
make
us,
feel
good
and
want
to
give
it
a
hug.
B
A
S
Good
afternoon
Thank
You
councilman
Jones
into
the
criminal
justice
reform
committee.
For
having
me
speak,
my
name
is
Jasmine
Smith
I'm,
the
owner
and
CEO
of
icons,
lacrosse
and
field
hockey
geared
towards
inner-city
children
and
children
of
color,
plain
fill
hockey
and
lacrosse.
We
are
a
curriculum
based,
holistic
method,
we're
we
use,
holistic
aspects
from
teaching
our
children,
financial
literacy,
self-esteem,
building,
academic
support,
healthy
food
options
and
various
others
we're
a
four
tier
program.
S
So
one
of
the
things
we
go
into
schools
that
normally
do
not
have
fill
hacking
Lacrosse,
we
create
systemic
teams,
we're
also
a
club
program.
So
on
the
weekends
we
have
a
club
program
where
we
have
girls,
ages,
5
through
18,
participated
in
our
program.
We
facilitate
tournaments
and
Clinics
through
our
governing
bodies
of
USA,
fill
hacking,
US
lacrosse
in
the
Olympic
Association
and
four.
We
have
an
international
model
where
we
continue
growing
the
game
on
that
aspect.
S
In
the
last
six
years
we've
had
close
to
over
560
girls
participated
in
our
program
from
our
middle
school
through
our
high
school
program.
Out
of
those
five
hundred
sixty,
seventy
seven
girls
have
either
gone
off
to
college,
to
participate
playing
lacrosse
or
field
hockey
continue
that
education
through
college,
as
well
through
trade
school.
In
our
efforts,
we
have
just
recently
partnered
with
the
University
of
Pennsylvania,
where
we
are
part
of
their
umbrella,
going
in
through
those
demographics
to
then
continue
creating
the
structure
for
field
hockey
and
lacrosse
through
our
curriculum
and
tactics
with
that.
S
What
has
happened
is
that
we've
seen
an
increase
of
the
girls
participation
being
able
to
now
open
up
and
really
a
lot
themselves
to
see
past
their
traumas,
it's
very
an
inaugural
stage,
but
yet-
and
still
we
see
that
it's
a
gateway
of
creating
change
in
an
infrastructure
that
could
be
placed
throughout
this
whole
city.
You
know
once
we
get
the
statistics
after
these
five
that
we're
working
with
right
now
through
this
we've
been
able
to
vet.
S
You
know
the
process
as
well
to
make
sure
that
you
know
we're
holding
not
only
our
graduate
students
that
are
participating
in
this
program
to
then
be
able
to
then
create
the
structure
model
that
then
we'll
be
able
to
then
a
lot.
These
girls
distances
the
assistance
that
they
need
going
forward.
You
know,
after
they
finish
working
with
our
program
and
hold
the
university
as
well
as
accountable,
because
they
are
part
of
the
community
which
is
under
the
netter
Center
that
we're
working
collectively
with
as
well.
S
We
were
working
to
create
a
program
for
those
children
whose
parents
are
incarcerated
to
join
our
program.
To
then
be
able
to
then
offset
some
of
the
things
that
you
know,
they're
going
through
the
traumatic
heat,
the
trauma
that
they're
they're,
witnessing
alongside
of
the
very
other
variables
that
children
and
those
scenarios
do
not
mention
just
due
to
the
fact
that
they
have
never
been
allowed
to
communicate
the
different
levels
of
frustration
and
various
others.
S
S
You
know
the
incident,
my
heart
not
only
went
out
to
shontayne
to
her
family,
but
as
well
as
to
the
young
woman
that
you
know,
that
was
a
part
of
the
incident
and
the
whole
time
in
the
duration
and
meeting
with
my
administrators
I
could
not
help
but
think
if
there
have
been
something
in
place
for
her,
then
maybe
that
this
incident
would
not
have
happened
but
again,
due
to
the
the
statistical
numbers
that
everyone
has
mentioned.
You
know
on
this
panel
I'm
sitting
here.
S
It
is
quite
disturbing
because
she
sits
in
a
pool
of
girls
that
feel
as
though
that
they
don't
have
hope
that
there
is
no
structure
in
place
and
if
we
collectively
can
figure
out
something
to
ensure
that
she
is
that
girls
like
her,
would
be
able
to
then
benefit
them
being
in
programs
like
icons
or
various
others,
whether
it's
sports
arts
music,
to
give
them
some
type
of
structure
going
forward.
So
thank
you
for
your
time.
A
Good
you
can
clap
I
want
you
to
know
that
as
a
former
track
coach
I
understand
clearly
what
you
meant.
I've
had
a
fleet
that
had
Greek
household
experiences
with
supportive
parents
and
I've
had
talented
athletes
that
did
not,
and
the
difference
in
that
was
that
all
of
them
had
a
structured
depict
place
to
come
to
which
equalized
the
playing
field.
A
So
the
rambunctious
North
Philly
kid
that
had
it
hard
worked
with
the
middle-class
kid
and
found
common
ground
and
things
like
that,
they're
real,
that,
beyond
their
ten
square
block
existence,
there
was
a
whole
world
sports.
Doesn't
it
you
failed
to
mention
that
that's
a
non-traditional
sport
given
young
ladies
from
inner-city
sticks
to
go
out
and
capture
balls
and
do
all
of
that
stuff
any
targeted,
aggressive
way
with
rules
attached.
How
does
that
impact.
S
We've
seen
the
difference
in
a
lot
of
our
school
programming
and
even
in
our
club
programming.
Of
course,
our
our
school
programming
is
geared
towards.
You
know
certain
demographic.
Our
club
is
a
mixture
of
different
financial
brackets
and
so
again
speaking
to
your
point,
the
girls
will,
you
know
when
they
come
for
us,
our
club
program,
they're,
meeting
various
girls
from
different
regions,
that's
coming
from
different
backgrounds
and
then
it'll
nabel's
them
to
then
raise
the
bar
standard
for
our
school
programming.
S
S
Do
you
want
to
change
your
life
and
then,
with
that
pitch,
then
you're
really
showcasing
them
where
their
life
can
take
them
and
then
creating
that
trust
factor
in
all
of
our
schools
that
we
have
programming
in
through
our
coaches
and
then
from
that
moment
you
know
the
girls
join
in
Stara
High
School's,
one
of
our
newly
new
programs
that
we
had
and
right
now
we're
at
47
girls
in
our
program.
That's
from
9th
grade
up
to
senior
years
being
a
senior
and
the
majority
of
the
girls
did
not
want
to
play.
It's
not.
S
You
know
they
could,
because
they
didn't
know
anything
about
it.
But
then,
after
showcasing
and
I,
believe
that
that's
the
thing
that
children
have
to
know
that
you're
there
every
day
we
showed
up
every
day.
They
constantly
showed
up.
You
know,
and
so
it
became
this
trust
factor
and
this
bridging
of
the
gap
and
from
there
these
girls
just
recently
last
year
we
will
this.
Past
year
we
went
to
Nationals,
we
had
nine
of
our
girls
from
our
club
team
out
of
9-3
came
from
sarah
high
school.
S
C
This
is
what
we
need
to
be
funding
and
I,
don't
know,
judge
if
you
have
any
influence
together.
People
like
her
to
come
in
to
SUSE
to
come
into
a
program,
lecture
and
because
I've
known,
jasmine
and
I
know
how
passionate
she
is
and
I
know
how
those
girls
love
her.
Not
only
did
he
love
her,
he
trusts
her
and
she
bleeds
He
pours
her
heart
into
this
and
they
see
her
as
a
reflection
of
themselves
and
that's
what
we
need
for
our
girls,
not
these
270
pound
men
and
you
know
Luzerne
County.
E
I,
if
I
could
add
and
I
don't
know
if
Jasmine
ever
remembers
the
this
experience,
but
the
team
went
the
club
team
done
that
my
little
girl
was
a
part
of
they
went
way
out
somewhere
way
out
in
one
of
the
counties
to
play
a
game
and
it
was.
It
was
clearly
you
know
a
racial
divide.
I
mean
that's
just
how
it
is,
and
I
could
see
our
girls
when
they
when,
when
we
got
there
and
they
saw
the
team
and
what
the
team
looked
like,
you
know
they
were
in
their
fancy
uniforms.
E
E
S
E
You
know
our
schools
and
they
walk
into
an
environment
that
they
only
know
because
of
what
they
see
on
TV
or
what
they
have
heard
and
they
automatically
feel
inferior.
They
didn't
know
how
good
this
team
was,
they
didn't
know
if
they
could
play
or
not
all
they
knew
was
they
were
white.
They
were
dressed,
you
know
better
than
they
were
team,
wise
uniformed
wise
equipment,
wise
and
that
something
psychologically
said
to
them.
They're,
better!
That's
gotta!
Stop
so.
A
S
One
of
the
disciplines
that
we
have
icons
and
that
was
basically
rendered
from
how
I
was
raised
from
my
grandparents
and
so
before,
every
practice
in
every
game.
We
have
a
long
mirror.
You
know
that
you
have
in
your
house,
and
so
the
girls
have
to
stand
in
a
single-file
line.
They
have
to
come
and
proach
the
mirror.
They
have
to
state
their
their
full
name
and
they
have
to
do
what
I
am
affirmation
that
I
affirmation.
They
cannot
look
at
me.
S
They
can't
look
at
under
the
coast,
you
can't
turn
around,
they
have
to
look
directly
in
the
mirror,
and
that
is
self
enforcing
them
to
look
at
themselves.
The
problem
is
that
we
live
in
a
society
very
similar
to
what
Laura's
saying
is.
We
have
not
taught
our
children
how
to
love
on
themselves.
So
then,
when
you
don't
love
on
yourselves,
you
are
then
seeking
something
else
to
love
you
in
the
minute
that
that
stops
internally,
then
you
were
seeking
it
again,
which
then
someone
can
deflect
you
to
go,
rob
a
story.
You
can
go.
S
You
know
beat
someone
up
it.
It's
so
many
different
levels
to
it,
and
so
that
in
itself
has
been
our
saving
grace
for
our
girls,
because
now
you
know,
and
especially
for
the
ones
that
are
new
or
have
trouble,
then
there's
just
re
establishing
where
they
comfort
each
other.
Like
hey,
look,
I'm
gonna
help
you
and
then
they
lock
hands
and
they
assist
the
other
girl
who's
having
problems-
or
you
know
with
regards
to
saying
her.
I
am
information
most
recently
as
well.
S
We've
been
selected
to
play
in
the
world
lacrosse
tournament,
which
is
teams
from
Asia
Africa
South,
America,
North,
America,
Europe
India,
and
our
team
is
the
first
team
of
color
to
be
participating
on
international
level.
All
of
our
girls
are
going
from
ages,
5
to
18.
Every
girl
will
be
participating
and
we're
the
first
team
out
of
the
city
of
Philadelphia,
from
non-traditional
sports
who
then
go
off
to
play.
This
is
giving
access
and
insight.
S
You
know
one
of
the
things
that
I
tell
all
of
our
girls,
and
you
know
our
other
coaches
in
other
schools.
These
sports
can
give
you
access
and
opportunity
beyond
the
United
States
of
America.
If
you
continue
playing
academically,
you
know,
Schuyler
is
soaring,
and
so
again
this
is
a
part
of
you
know
the
bridge
that
we're
making
sure
that
we're
close
to
where
they're
going
Ireland
2020.
S
C
I
have
to
go,
but
I
want
to.
Thank
you
all
Rachel.
Thank
you
so
much
for
your
powerful
testimony.
Just
to
us,
we
always
love
you.
We
wish
you
come
back
and
thank
you
for
yours
as
well.
Jasmine
I'm,
a
product
of
sports
and
if
it
weren't
for
sports
I,
would
have
gone
to
college.
So
I
know
how
much
that
can
be
life,
changing
attitude,
adjustment,
everything
resilience
and
without
it
I
don't
think
I'd
be
Who.
C
D
A
So
that's
going
to
involve
the
recreation
department
and
working
with
the
courts
to
talk
about
in
this
area
of
maybe
Frankfort
what's
available
for
this
young
lady
and
to
be
able
to
coordinate
that
a
little
bit,
because
a
couple
of
dollars
spent
on
the
front
end
can
stop
us
from
having
to
spend
a
lot
of
dollars
on
the
back
end,
and
it
shows
that
it's
out
there.
We
just
have
to
find
the
straw
to
start
a
drink
to
make
it
work
together.
D
It's
full
of
students
and
parents
during
sports
and
having
meetings
and
everything
until
like
10
o'clock
at
night,
every
single
day,
so
the
school-
and
these
are
public
schools,
not
private,
and
so
the
school
is
so
important
in
such
an
important
fabric
in
the
community
as
to
keeping
the
community
together
and
being
a
meeting
place.
And
here
we
it's
it's
just
not
you
know
it
just
doesn't
happen
anymore.
Your.