We are committed to ending the mass
incarceration of women & girls.
The United States is the global leader in
locking up women & girls.
One third of the world’s women prisoners are locked up in the U.S. even though just 4% of the world’s female population lives here. In Pennsylvania, the incarceration rate of women and girls exceeds that of every other nation on earth.
229,053
Women & girls are incarcerated in prisons, jails, & juvenile facilities across the U.S.
86%
Of incarcerated women are the victims of prior sexual assault & gender violence.
2/3
Of women in prison are mothers to children under the age of 18.
WHAT WE DO
Direct Assistance
Expert assistance for women and girls fighting wrongful convictions and unjust sentences. We offer research, strategy, and expert testimony.
Research & Public Policy Advocacy
Policy-relevant research on gender and mass incarceration that centers and amplifies the voices of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated women and girls.
Education & Training
Educational programming, training, and technical assistance for stakeholders including families, advocates, students, attorneys, and members of the judiciary.
It’s #faqfriday & today we thought we’d answer your questions about funding sources. The short answer is our funding comes from the generosity of individual donors like you. We do not receive any money from Change.org or other online petition sites (the money they raise they keep). We DO accept donations via our site on donorbox and by check. All donations to Philly Justice Project directly support our work. We have no administrative overhead. We have no paid staff—Dr. McCorkel & our amazing team of trained volunteers donate their time & expertise. To save costs, we work from home (zoom is our friend!). Even our website is donated! We are a 501(c)3 nonprofit. If you’d like to contribute—every amount helps!!—you’ll find the link in our bio. All donations are tax deductible. 🙏
Happy birthday, Ms. Sylvia!!! Sylvia Boykin has served three decades of a life without possibility of parole sentence. She was present at a drug related shooting. Everyone agrees she was not the shooter. Please help us bring her home to her family. #secondchances #commutationnow
What kind of society goes to war against its own children??? Against its elderly??? America is lost. Art by @micahbazant @amplifierart #buffalo #uvalde
Did you know that incarcerated women are punished for rule violations at double & triple the rate of incarcerated men? Jailers police even the most trivial & non-serious of infractions in facilities for women (in many cases regulations applied to women do not even exist in men’s facilities). This is one of the reasons women’s incarceration rates are so high—it’s harder to make parole, earn good time credit, and secure release on a minimum sentence. #endmassincarceration
What’s wrong with cash bail? Everything! Our latest column for Graterfriends @prisonsociety #cashbail #endmassincarceration
Word. #endmassincarceration
You ready? We’re ready!!! Two weeks from today India will finally have the opportunity to prove her innocence in court. We’ll be posting updates from the hearing here & on our Twitter (JusticeGirls). Together we can #freeindiaspellman 💪🏾💪🏼💪🏿💪🏽💪🏻
Why are there 5 times as many women in prison in 2020 than in 1980?? It’s not due to an uptick in women engaging in more crime. It’s the result of mandatory sentencing policies, punitive law enforcement practices, & limited resources for reentry.
It’s Primary Day, friends. Vote like your future depends on it.
White supremacy cannot & must not be tolerated in any guise, by any group of people. It is not enough to ignore, dismiss, minimize, or hope it away. It is the enemy of democracy, community, justice, peace, and love. White supremacy is rooted in & sustained by violence, it thrives on fear, and is committed to the destruction of human freedom. Angela Davis been saying. #buffalo
Congratulations to seniors in our undergrad chapter at Villanova U!!! We’re so proud of you & thankful for all your contributions!!! And special thanks to @lalabecker16 for creating & leading the chapter—you will be missed!! @novanationer
What happened to India Spellman in the interrogation room of the police Roundhouse in Philly was as horrifying as it was illegal. She was bullied, threatened, stripped of her legal rights, & physically coerced into signing a false confession. We are so fortunate to be working with the incredibly talented artist @wildtyping who offers a visual perspective on what that interrogation looked like from inside the room. #freeindiaspellman
Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there fighting for a better world 💚🌍🕊
Today (May 3) we are gathering at 5 pm outside the federal courthouse in Philly.
During her time in prison, Kathy Boudin underwent a profound personal transformation. Following her release, she went on to become a leading advocate for incarcerated women, bringing college courses to women’s prisons & fighting for the reunification of incarcerated mothers with their children. She earned her doctorate in social work & co-founded & co-directed the @columbiacenterforjustice Rest in power, Kathy. May 19, 1943-May 1, 2022.
We could not be more thrilled to announce that the PA Board of Pardons has unanimously recommended Felix Rosado for commutation!!! It was a long journey to get here but we never stopped believing in Felix. He is a truly outstanding & highly, highly deserving applicant for a #secondchance. He will do us all proud. We have so much gratitude for everyone who called, wrote, researched, posted, contributed art, amplified, collaborated, and came together as a community to support Felix & his family. Thank you all so much. What a beautiful moment this is 🕊🤍
We are THRILLED to announce that today—on India Spellman’s birthday—Felix Rosado received all five votes supporting his application for commutation. Thank you to each of the members of the board & especially to @johnfetterman @soleilandskye & @paattorneygen !!! #secondchances
Happy 29th birthday, India Spellman!!! We’ll be talking to India later today & we’d love to be able to tell her that we have 200k signatures on our petition urging DA Krasner to exonerate her. Please sign, share, & amplify. India is legally & factually innocent of the crimes she was convicted of. We are committed to bringing her home to her family & friends. #freeindiaspellman #wrongfulconviction
Congratulations to our wonderful undergraduate chapter @villanovau Last night they received an award from the university for their outstanding advocacy work!!!
Just two days shy of her scheduled execution date, the Texas Court of Appeals granted Melissa Lucio a stay. Here are the claims she raised on appeal. Next: a lower court will review new evidence to decide whether to grant her a new trial. Like so many of our clients, the case against her from start to finish is tainted by gender bias. #savemelissalucio #wrongfulconviction
