(Mar 14, 2018) Rep. Joanna E. McClinton
HARRISBURG, March 14 – State Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Phila., chairman of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, today announced the creation of a new Subcommittee on Criminal Justice Reform. The subcommittee will be co-chaired by Rep. Joanna McClinton, D-Phila./Delaware, and Sen. Sharif Street, D-Phila., both attorneys. Rep. Jason Dawkins, D-Phila., and Sen. Anthony Williams, D-Phila./Delaware, will also serve as members of the subcommittee. Harris said, “Criminal justice reform has become one of the leading issues in Pennsylvania and across our nation. I’m excited that our caucus will be spearheading this initiative and pushing for much needed reforms in the state legislature. While we have made some movement on providing second chances to returning citizens, there are countless other avenues that must be explored if we are to fully restructure our criminal justice system.” The subcommittee will push an aggressive legislative agenda and will also be vital in the creation of a criminal justice advisory group made up of formerly incarcerated people and expert legal practitioners. The advisory committee will be co-chaired by Keir Bradford-Grey, chief defender of the Defender Association of Philadelphia, and Bill DeWeese, former state representative and the 135th speaker of the House. Among his many legal and legislative accomplishments, Street has supported numerous bills that would reform Pennsylvania’s criminal justice system. One bill Read more