
Pennsylvania Population Data Certified for Legislative Repartition
Note: PRC encourages the use of person first language whenever possible in referring to people with justice involvement, and people in general. To learn more, click here. Pennsylvania News Today | Jameskusatsu (Center Square) – The Pennsylvania Legislative Redistribution Commission has certified the US Census Bureau’s population data this week in anticipation of the January 12 draft map deadline. “I feel like we’re under a lot of time pressure because of the delayed delivery

NCIA Invites Local Employers to the Resource Fair! (11/19)
NCIA will be hosting a Resource Fair on November 19th, 2021, inside our center located on 820 W Thompson St. Employers are invited to share information, employment opportunities and resources that their wonderful organizations are involved in! The event will take place from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Refreshments will be provided. Please wear a mask; if you do not have one, we will provide you with one at the door. If you are interested in attending, please email Christopher Col

Mural Arts Guild Program Recruiting for Fall/Winter Cohort (11/8)
The Mural Arts Guild, a paid apprenticeship program, gives formerly incarcerated individuals, young adults on probation and Justice impacted community members the opportunity to reconnect with their community while developing job skills. Through work on creative projects like mural making, carpentry, and mosaics, employees of the Guild, guided by artists and other skilled professionals, transform their neighborhoods and themselves. Designed to incorporate concepts of communi

How Philadelphia’s ‘Bail Advocates’ Reduced Pretrial Racial Disparities
The Crime Report| Eva Herscowitz: October 25, 2021 The use of paraprofessionals to provide individualized information about defendants that could guide judges’ decisions about granting bail could reduce racial disparities in pretrial detention, argues Paul Heaton, the director of the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School. In a paper published in the Indiana Law Journal, Heaton said the results of a Philadelp

Pizza with a Mission: Inside the Hot Philly Restaurant Fighting Recidivism
WHYY| Laura Benshoff: October 26, 2021 In mid-September, Philadelphia’s Down North Pizza won praise for being one of the best restaurants in the country from Bon Appétit Magazine and CBS Mornings. Executive chef Michael Carter was featured prominently, dishing up Detroit-style pizza and talking about the restaurant’s mission to staff the operation with only formerly incarcerated people. The next day, he said a parole agent called and asked him to come in. “I haven’t been insi

Spotlight: Beyond Literacy Helps Connect Adult Learners to Devices and Broadband
Technical.ly| Michael Butler The numbers are trending up: Per a summer 2021 survey conducted on behalf of the City of Philadelphia, 84% of residents have broadband connections in their homes, up from 70% in 2019. Part of the credit for that change goes to Comcast’s Internet Essentials program, which offers discounted services to low-income households. It’s a reminder that digital access remains indispensable, as does institutional support in boosting it. The Center City-headq

Apply Now to Help More Philadelphians Claim the Child Tax Credit (11/1)
Community organizations that serve the lowest income Philadelphians are invited to apply for a new grant opportunity to help families claim their new federal Child Tax Credit (CTC) payments. The CTC gives parents or guardians, regardless of income, up to $3,600 for each child aged 5 and younger, or $3,000 for kids aged 6-17. These payments are already having an impact in reducing child hunger, and it is estimated that 75,000 Philadelphians will be lifted out of poverty if eve

Philadelphia Offering Cash Payments for Returning Citizens to Help Keep Them Out of Jail
NewsBreak | Pat Loeb The city set aside $500,000 for the payments at the beginning of the pandemic. About 900 PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Philadelphia reduced its jail population for safety reasons during the pandemic, and it is making payments to those who were released in the hopes of helping them stay out of jail. The city set aside $500,000 for the payments at the beginning of the pandemic. About 900 people have received a one-time $500 payment so far, and the city has

PA First Lady Hosts Virtual Panel Highlighting Needs of Incarcerated Women Reentering Society
The Center Square | Natalie Kapustik: October 22, 2021 (The Center Square) – Pennsylvania first lady Frances Wolf hosted the first in a series of virtual talks this week that focus on the challenges women face when leaving prison. Women In Reentry: An Overview included a panel of formerly incarcerated women, corrections professionals, reentry experts and advocates who discussed how needs are being met and how the justice system can improve to better support reentry. “For year