Katie Meyer - November 18, 2019

Conditions in state prison are changing dramatically for the 136 people sitting on death row in Pennsylvania, thanks to a settlement the Department of Corrections made Monday with the American Civil Liberties and several other inmates’ rights groups.

For many years, the prison system has held death-row inmates in permanent solitary confinement, which meant staying in a cell for up to 23 hours per...

‘Punishment Should Not be Endless.’ Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf Urges Lawmakers to Reform Probation.

Ron Southwick - November 18, 2019

Gov. Tom Wolf is urging lawmakers to revamp Pennsylvania’s probation system so that people can get a fair chance at improving their lives.

The issue has growing bipartisan support in the General Assembly. Lawmakers are weighing measures to reduce the length of probation sentences and create incenti...

Samantha Melamad - November 18, 2019

Tyreek Dekeyser has been home from prison just 13 months, so he still remembers how it felt to receive letters and photographs from the outside — or, more often, not to receive them.

That’s why Dekeyser, who goes by Reek, keeps a handwritten list of nearly 50 names, inmate numbers, and addresses, and writes to each regularly, sending snapshots of home in words and images.

“He’s home,” Dekeyser...

Why 1,200 People Who Never Took a Life Are Condemned to Die in Pa. Prisons. | Editorial

Life without parole is a punishment supposedly kept only for those beyond redemption, whose crimes are so heinous that they should never be part of society again. Under Pennsylvania law, anyone committing a premeditated murder -- first degree -- falls into that category. However, so do those who were an accomplice in a felony that lead to so...

Hope & Fury: Incarceration - Free the Innocent

La Colombe's Hope & Fury concert series returns for an evening of music and discussion of mass incarceration, created to inspire change through important issues and hard conversations within the current political landscape.

Date And Time

Fri, November 22, 2019

6:30 PM – 9:30 PM EST

Location

La Colombe Fishtown Cafe

1335 Frankford Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19125

Featuring the mind of:

Distric...

PLSE is launching the search for our second Mike Lee Fellow. The fellowship is a six-month paid opportunity offered to someone who has direct experience with the criminal justice system, has shown a strong interest in community organizing, and is passionate about having a positive impact in their community. An official position description is attached with further details.

We are inviting you to nominate someone for the...

The First Year After Leaving Prison is Harder for Hispanics

"The first 72 hours after being released are crucial. Having counted down the days with scratches on a cell wall, that longed-for moment is a dream that can vanish in just three days. More than ten studies and organizations explain that reentry programs should put special emphasis on this decisive transition period following release.

In fact, several groups have a check...

Join the Institute for Community Justice for an Expungement Summit Reentry Resource & Health Fair

The Institute for Community Justice (ICJ) in partnership with Philadelphia Lawyers for Social Equity (PLSE), Deliverance Evangelistic Church Prison Ministry, Philadelphia FIGHT Community Health Centers, The Defenders Association of Philadelphia, and CRESCO Labs presents an “Expungement Summit and Reentry Resource/Health Fair.” The...

Transforming Justice Conference

The Transforming Justice Conference will engage in conversation on the current state of the criminal justice system to include the inequities in the system, the barriers to reintegration, and strategies for improvement. The conference will feature local, regional, and national leaders in the space.

Date and Time

Fri, November 15, 2019

8:30 AM – 4:00 PM EST

Location

Chestnut Hill College | Chateau at S...

Bringing a Data-Driven and Public Health Approach to the DA's Office

Philadelphia's District Attorney, Larry Krasner, has been recognized for reinventing the role of prosecutor into a leading champion of criminal justice reform in the United States. Throughout his 30 year career, Mr. Krasner has also proudly demonstrated a steadfast commitment to social justice, having defended protesters pro bono who were involved with movemen...