Judiciary Committee Testimony on HB 1410, Oct. 30, 2023

Good morning, Chairman Briggs, Chairman Kauffman, members of the Judiciary Committee. Thank you for inviting me to join you briefly today to discuss my legislation, House Bill 1410 – which would create greater opportunities for incarcerated Pennsylvanians to receive a pardon or have their sentences commuted, offering compassion, saving taxpayer resources, and helping us continue to reform our criminal justice system. Having served as a public defender for nearly a decade, I’ve seen many issues with our justice system firsthand. Often people end up in our system because of systemic inequality, chronic disinvestment, undiagnosed or untreated mental health issues, and general lack of opportunity in their communities. As a legislature and a commonwealth, we’ve made tremendous progress on reforming the justice system by implementing meaningful - and bipartisan - updates including Clean Slate and state funding for indigent defense. These measures are already helping some and will help thousands of Pennsylvanians and their families. I’m extremely proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish over the past decade, but, of course, there is more to be done including reconsidering the standards for granting a pardon or commutation. In the late 1990s, Pennsylvania, like other states adopted a “tough on crime” approach to justice, which is judged by many to be a failure. Policy makers, advocates and academics agree that this kneejerk Read more