Harnessing Hyperlocal Capacity to Change Lives and Revitalize West Philadelphia Through the Power of Pardons

Abstract

Some 440,000 people in Philadelphia who have already served their criminal sentences remain shackled by the barriers erected by their criminal records. But the pardon is a powerful, effective, and significantly underutilized tool that can not only change the trajectory of individuals' lives, but also entire communities. By erasing a person's criminal record, the pardon truly creates a second chance. But a pardon must be applied for and a pardon application must be compelling to make it through the Board of Pardons and onto the governor's desk. Enter the West Philadelphia Pardon Network (WPPN), a cross-sector collaborative model that seeks to bring together a community to provide pathways to redemption for those who have been held accountable by the criminal legal system and establish a model of community forgiveness that other communities can follow. At its core, WPPN advocates for a self-help approach to ending the intergenerational poverty in West Philadelphia that is fueled by high rates of incarceration by tapping into the people who already live and work in the community and helping to expand the capacity of existing resources.

For more information, contact Shuja Moore, the founder of the West Philly Pardon Network, at connect@domooregood.org, or the author at crm379@drexel.edu