HARRISBURG, Dec. 18 – Citing the benefit to Pennsylvanians looking for employment as well as to the state’s economy, state Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Phila., House Democratic whip, applauded the passage of bipartisan legislation he authored with state Rep. Sheryl Delozier, R-Cumberland, that restructures how the state’s occupational licensure system looks at criminal records. “This legislation is about second chances, job growth and lower recidivism across Pennsylvania,” said Harris. “We know the number one way to lower recidivism and stop people from falling into the pitfall of crime is to give them a chance at secure employment and a better life, and that’s exactly what House Bill 1477 accomplishes. I’m thrilled to have worked with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, especially Representative Delozier again, to help give thousands of Pennsylvanians a chance to succeed and turn their lives around. ” “A licensing board should not reject someone applying to practice a profession solely due to an old infraction that may have nothing to do with the profession they want to serve,” said Delozier. “This legislation would not allow someone to be solely rejected based on a criminal record unless there is a direct tie to the profession.” House Bill 1477 provides alternatives to licensing boards in Pennsylvania to issue licenses to formally incarcerated and Read more
There’s a growing urgency - and willingness - to fix Pennsylvania’s probation system.Pennsylvania lawmakers can’t squander this opportunity.About 178,000 people are on probation in Pennsylvania. Criminal justice reform advocates and a growing number of lawmakers say that number is too high. The system is unnecessarily expensive and punitive. Too many people are on probation for too long, making it exceedingly difficult for those trying for a fresh start. Read more
On paper, Rep. Sheryl Delozier, a Republican from a predominantly white conservative district, and Rep. Jordan Harris, a Democrat from a predominantly black Philadelphia district, would be considered an unlikely alignment. If they sat on a cable-news panel they’d be expected to yell and point fingers at each other over partisan slights. On social media, the idea of them being friends would be considered an abomination worthy of canceling them both.But since 2018, they have been working together on criminal-justice reform — and making real change happen. Read more
Republican and Democratic lawmakers say they see a genuine opportunity to fix the probation system this year.Such bipartisan agreement in Harrisburg is uncommon, lawmakers concede. Still, lawmakers on both sides of the aisle say the probation system is too expensive and inefficient. Advocates for probation reform contend shorter sentences would give people a chance to rebuild their lives. As a bonus, it would save millions of tax dollars that could be used to improve public safety. Read more
State Rep. Jordan Harris (D-Philadelphia), House Democratic whip, applauds the passage of House Bill 1477 that restructures how the state’s occupational licensure system views criminal records. Read more
State Reps. Jordan Harris and Aaron Bernstine know how to agree to disagree, and not be disagreeable. In fact, they could teach our national Democratic and Republican leaders a thing or two.Harris is a Democrat and represents the 186th legislative district and is from South Philadelphia -- “born and raised.” Bernstine is Republican and represents the 10th District, rural Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties. They duked it out – ideologically speaking – on a recent Battleground PA podcast, but left our studios patting each other on the back and guffawing uproariously at their own jokes. Read more
State Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Phila., House Democratic whip, issued the following statement on H.B. 1555, bipartisan probation reform legislation introduced with state Rep. Sheryl Delozier, R-Cumberland, not receiving a vote before the House adjourned today:“The great Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. once said, ‘we must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.’ This week, we must accept the disappointment that House Bill 1555 did not receive a vote in the House, but also understand that the political process is continuing to work and we still plan to get this bill across the finish line in the House when we return in January. Read more
Calling it a victory for criminal justice reform in Pennsylvania, state Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Phila., House Democratic Whip, thanked the committee chairmen and members for moving multiple pieces of legislation aimed at correcting injustices in Pennsylvania’s criminal justice system. Read more
Calling it a positive decision for both Pennsylvania and Cheyney University, state Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Phila., House Democratic Whip, released the following statement regarding Cheyney receiving accreditation: “Cheyney university retaining its accreditation is excellent news for not simply the university, but for Pennsylvania and the African American community at large. As the oldest historically black institution of higher learning in the nation and the conscience of the African American community, Cheyney represents an integral cultural piece of the African American experience in higher education. Read more
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 incentives that would allow people to shorten their sentences if they stay out of trouble. Read more
On the heels of a $1.48 million grant awarded earlier this year to the Schuylkill River Trail, state Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Phila., House Democratic Whip, announced an additional $800,000 in grant funding from the Commonwealth Financing Authority for the Christian to Crescent segment of the trail. Read more
In modern times, the United States has never been as polarized and partisan as it is now. The two parties cannot work together and have stopped talking to each other, and many of their members barely see people in the other party as human. Adversaries become enemies; disagreement is seen as treason. Read more
State Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Phila., House Democratic whip, is slated to be part of a panel on probation reform and question presidential candidate Julian Castro on criminal justice reform this weekend at the 2019 Second Step Presidential Justice Forum at Benedict College in Columbia, S.C.“It’s a tremendous honor to take part in this vital discussion on where we go next with criminal justice reform,” Harris said. “Criminal justice reform has become the civil rights issue of our time, and it’s imperative that our presidential candidates on both sides have a plan for reform and voters understand exactly where the candidates stand and how they plan to move us forward on criminal justice.” Read more
State Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Phila., House Democratic whip, and Rep. Andrew Lewis, R-Dauphin, are gathering support for legislation that aims to create a state database of job postings by employers who are willing to hire formally incarcerated and convicted people. Read more
This week's FOX43 Capitol Beat is a bipartisan interview with Cumberland County Republican Sheryl Delozier and Philadelphia Democrat Jordan Harris. The two are working on legislation to improve Pennsylvania's criminal justice system. Read more
The economic benefits of proposed legislation to “free the weed” by state lawmakers was the main talking point at a Wednesday morning press conference to legalize marijuana and allow the state to oversee the selling of it for recreational use.State Rep. Dave Delloso, D-162 of Ridley Township, was flanked with co-sponsors and other advocates of House Bill 1899, the legislation he introduced earlier this week that pushes Pennsylvania to join 10 other states to decriminalize the drug. Read more
Taili Thompson spent three years on probation and wonders if he would have been better off getting to jail.A Pittsburgh resident, Thompson spoke about his experience at a state Capitol rally Tuesday organized by advocates trying to change the probation system. He said he completed his three years on probation and met all the terms. Read more
The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry recently presented the third annual Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life in Pennsylvania award to the four members of the General Assembly’s Criminal Justice Reform Caucus. Read more
Along with the other three chairs of the Pennsylvania Criminal Justice Reform Caucus, state Rep. Jordan Harris, D-Phila., House Democratic whip, received the Allegheny College Prize for Civility in Public Life award on Monday evening.“It’s incredibly humbling to receive an award that has been given to such great figures in American politics as Vice President Joe Biden and Sen. John McCain, Congressmen Beto O’Rourke and Will Hurd, Senators Dianne Feinstein and Lindsay Graham, the Women of the United States Senate, and Supreme Court Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia,” Harris said. “Civility in politics is essential to ensuring that we are able to accomplish our goals and properly represent those who elect us to serve. It’s possible to disagree without being disagreeable, and this ability to be civil helps us work together when we find common ground. Success found through bipartisanship can inspire other lawmakers to follow the same path and restore civility to our political process.” Read more
Each year, Pennsylvania taxpayers spends hundreds of millions of dollars on probation violators. Two new bills look to reform the system. Supporters of House Bill 1555 and Senate Bill 14 rallied today at the State Capitol in an attempt to move the legislation. Read more
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