The following piece was written by Kempis “Ghani” Songster as a speech he planned to deliver to the United Nations Permanent Forum on People of African Descent. Only select speakers are allowed two minutes to share their words before the permanent forum, and Ghani was ultimately not allowed the time to share this speech in …
A Call to the United Nations to Abolish Death by Incarceration Read More »
Last week at City Hall, community leaders rallied with Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Kranser to deliver a message to Republican legislators moving forward with their attempt to oust the city’s first progressive prosecutor from office. Following the recent PA House of Representatives’ impeachment of Krasner, Republican legislators have moved the process into the PA Senate …
Kyle Rittenhouse is free. I served thirteen and a half years for taking the life of my abuser. Which is self-defense?
We talked to three survivors of violent crime—Movita Johnson-Harrell, Antoinette Kreiselmeier and Jean Mayes—about what they need to heal.
The Urgent Need For Second Chances In Pennsylvania’s Sentencing System What better time for justice than 2022. As we dive into this new year, we should lean into our lawmakers to urge them to bring our friends and loved ones home. As part of their continuous efforts to support second chances in Pennsylvania, Families Against …
This past week we hosted a panel highlighting the voices of survivors, both of street violence and to prisons. We were joined by a few powerful women: Antoinette Kreiselmeier is a justice reform advocate. Movita Johnson Harrell is a retired PA State Rep and former Chief of Victim Services and Restorative Justice at the Philadelphia …
Survivor Stories: Testimonies of Triumph and Tragedy Read More »
Pittsburgh residents are showing their desire to dismantle mass incarceration. A recent referendum banned solitary confinement in the Allegheny County Jail. Chemical and militaristic weapons were also banned at the jail. All in the last year. Now, demand is rising to decarcerate our prisons and bring home our elders.
Over the last year we grew. We listened. We organized. And we fought and won. And now we need your help to keep the momentum going.
Mid-day on September 30, 2021, community members and lawmakers gathered outside of Philadelphia City Hall around the 12-foot bronze Octavius Catto statue for a press conference to gather support for the newly introduced Senate Bill 835 that would establish geriatric and medical parole in Pennsylvania. Several movement partners came together to host the event, namely …
This bill has been introduced in the Senate but is not law. We at Straight Ahead want to see the bill become law, as it would allow the possibility for parole for many older and sick people in prisons, including those who might not be covered by other reform bills. This was written and last …
Unpacking SB 835: Who has a chance at freedom from medical and geriatric parole? Read More »