Hosted by the Villanova Chapter of the Philadelphia Justice Project
Please join the Villanova Chapter of Philly Justice Project for a screening of Beyond Bars and discussion about the harms of mass incarceration with Chesa Boudin. All proceeds from the event benefit the work of Philadelphia Justice Project for Women & Girls. Buy tickets here.
- Chesa Boudin, Founding Executive Director, Criminal Law & Justice Center, University of California Berkeley. He previously served as San Francisco’s elected District Attorney and implemented bold reforms designed to deliver safety and justice for all San Franciscans.
- Dr. Jill McCorkel, Professor of Sociology & Criminology at Villanova University and Founding Executive Director of Philadelphia Justice Project for Women & Girls.
- Dr. Max Osborn, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Villanova University
This in person event will take place on Wednesday May 1 at 7 pm in Connelly Cinema at Connelly Center, Villanova University. Doors open at 6:30 pm for ticket holders.
Note: All ticket sales are final. We are not able to offer refunds or exchanges.
Hosted by Philadelphia Justice Project for Women & Girls
Please join us for a discussion of the complexities of women’s wrongful conviction cases and strategies for overcoming them. Panelists include:
- Professor Leigh Goodmark, Marjorie Cook Professor of Law at the University of Marlyand and Author of Imperfect Victims: Criminalized Survivors and the Promise of Abolition
- Dr. Jill McCorkel, Professor of Sociology & Criminology at Villanova University and Founding Executive Director of Philadelphia Justice Project for Women & Girls
- Latonya Myers, Founding Executive Director of Above All Odds
- India Spellman, Exoneree and Advisor to Philly Justice Project
- Morkea Spellman, Board of Directors, Philly Justice Project
This in person event will take place on Saturday March 23 at 9:30 am at the Innocence Network Conference in New Orleans, LA.
Event is part of the Annual Conference of the Innocence Network.
Hosted by the Villanova Chapter of the Philadelphia Justice Project
Please join the Villanova Chapter of Philly Justice Project for a panel discussion about Wrongful Convictions & Second Chances. Panelists include:
- Professor Leigh Goodmark, Marjorie Cook Professor of Law at the University of Marlyand and Author of Imperfect Victims: Criminalized Survivors and the Promise of Abolition
- Dr. Jill McCorkel, Professor of Sociology & Criminology at Villanova University and Executive Director of Philadelphia Justice Project for Women & Girls
- Felix Rosado, Founder of Let’s Circle Up and co-founder of Coalition to Abolish Death by Incarceration. He is a graduate of Villanova University who spent 27 years fighting a death by incarceration sentence from which he was released by executive clemency in 2022
- Shameka Sawyer, Founder and Executive Director of the 5 Shorts Project, an initiative dedicated to using storytelling to advocate for justice and equality for individuals wrongfully convicted, working with various advocacy groups to document public perception of crime, wrongful convictions, and unjust prison sentences.
This in person event will take place on Wednesday March 29 at 8 pm in 132 Driscoll Hall, Villanova University. All are welcome. Doors open at 7:30 pm.
Event is sponsored by the Villanova Department of Sociology and Criminology and co-sponsored by the Office of Mission & Ministry/MESI and the Augustinian Institute at Villanova University
Hosted by the Villanova Chapter of the Philadelphia Justice Project
On April 1, 1994, a Philadelphia court sentenced Sylvia Boykin to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Together with two male codefendants, Sylvia was charged and subsequently convicted of first-degree murder following a shoot-out over a drug transaction. Prosecution and defense witnesses all agree that Sylvia was unarmed and did not shoot anyone. At the time, Sylvia was in her mid-thirties and raising three young daughters on her own. She had no significant criminal record to speak of. Under other circumstances, police and prosecutors might have treated her as a witness rather than a participant in a crime. In this episode of the Wrongful Conviction podcast, Pulitzer Prize Winner Maggie Freleng interviews Sylvia Boykin, her daughter Pennie, and Dr. Jill McCorkel to discuss what happened that night, injustices in the case, and why Dr. McCorkel believes Sylvia deserves to have her life sentence commuted.
This in person event will take place on Thursday October 20 at 8 pm in room 215 Tolentine Hall, Villanova University. All are welcome.
Hosted by the Free Library of Philadelphia
To close out the Let’s Talk: Philly D.A. discussion series we will share clips from multiple Philly D.A. episodes, and hear from Larry Krasner himself as well as moderators and participants from the different library events; what they took away from the discussion, and what common needs were heard across different neighborhoods in Philly. With invited city officials, community leaders, and scholars, this will be an opportunity to talk through some of the attainable and actionable solutions for our city.
- Moderator: Christopher Norris, managing editor WHYY
- Panelists: Larry Krasner, District Attorney of Philadelphia | Dr. Jill McCorkel, Professor of Sociology and Criminology, Executive Director of the Philadelphia Justice Project for Women & Girls | Cherri Gregg, news anchor WHYY | Chris McClean, formerly Philadelphia PD | Syreeta Martin, Love Now Media
Hosted by the Free Library of Philadelphia
Do life sentences keep our city safe? What is the cost of a life sentence to a person, their family, their community, and especially when that person is a juvenile? We will use episode 5 as a jumping off point to discuss and learn about community youth resources with neighborhood advocates.
Episode 5 synopsis: Krasner reviews the case of Joseph Chamberlain, who was sentenced to life without parole as a juvenile for murdering another teenager in 1992. He struggles to persuade the public and the media of systemic solutions to public safety during a spike in the homicide rate.
- Moderator: Dr. Jill McCorkel, Professor of Sociology and Criminology (Villanova University), Founder and Executive Director (Philadelphia Justice Project for Women & Girls)
- Panelists: Cynthia Alvarado, former lifer | Andrew Keats, Juvenile Law Center
Hosted by the Villanova Chapter of the Philadelphia Justice Project
At 17 years old, India Spellman was arrested for second-degree murder, tried as an adult, convicted, and sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. We can prove she is legally and factually innocent. Students will discuss their work on the case under the direction of Dr. Jill McCorkel and the Philadelphia Justice Project. The event will feature talks from Dr. McCorkel, Todd Mosser (India’s appellate attorney), and Morkea Spellman, India’s mother.
This in person event will take place on Monday April 11, 2022 at 7 pm in the East Lounge of Dougherty Hall, Villanova University. All are welcome.
The event is co-sponsored by the Anne Welsh McNulty Institute for Women’s Leadership
Hosted by UPenn's The Journal of Law & Public Affairs (JLPA)
This fully virtual symposium will feature four panels examining the various hurdles that women—particularly women of color—face during, and after, incarceration. Philadelphia Justice Project’s Founder & Executive Director, Dr. Jill McCorkel, will be participating in the “What Happens Next? COVID Solutions for Reform” panel.
Visit the JLPA event site for more information.