WHEREAS, Resolution 160101 (adopted February 4, 2016) authorized Council’s Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform to conduct hearings on ways to reform the criminal justice system to reduce crime and increase public safety; and
WHEREAS, On August 1st and September 12th of 2016, Council’s Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform held hearings focused on alternatives to pretrial incarceration and pretrial reform. Additionally, members of the Special Committee attended informative sessions on August 2nd and October 7th of 2016, to study how other jurisdictions dealt with issues of pretrial incarceration and the cash bail system. Members of the Special Committee also attended a private forum at House of Correction on October 17th, to speak with individuals who were being incarcerated pretrial; and
WHEREAS, On November 14, 2016, the Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform met and adopted an interim report setting forth the findings on the matters discussed at the abovementioned public hearings and informative sessions. The Special Committee then issued the report to the full Council; and
WHEREAS, The Council as a whole now wishes to adopt the report issued by the Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That the report issued by Council’s Special Committee on Criminal Justice Reform on November 14, 2016, (Attached as Exhibit “A”) is hereby adopted
.
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