The Second Ward Democrats strongly endorse District Attorney Larry Krasner for reelection. His vision is well suited to attack the range of issues facing Philadelphia, including mass incarceration, the substance use epidemic, and gun violence. Among the most progressive district attorneys in the United States, he has made strides towards rolling back mass incarceration, which disproportionately impacts people of color, by implementing policies that have reduced the future years people will spend incarcerated or under supervision. His office has increased police accountability and stopped putting officers who lack the credibility needed to testify on the stand. In order to restore justice denied, his Conviction Integrity Unit has exonerated 17 people in 18 cases of wrongful conviction, many of which involved official misconduct.
Mr. Krasner has taken giant steps to reduce overly punitive sentencing practices and to eliminate needless incarcerations. His office seeks to connect people with needed services such as substance use treatment or job-related resources, rather than penalizing those with substance use disorders for their addiction. Mr. Krasner’s expansion of diversionary programs to keep non-violent offenders out of jail has resulted in a decline in the number of people held in jail—and helped protect this vulnerable population from the COVID-19 pandemic. His work to streamline the expungement process has helped mitigate the long lasting and punitive effect of a criminal record. Mr. Krasner also rejects use of capital punishment which has been used disproportionately against the poor and people of color, is vastly more expensive—even at the trial stage—than non-capital murder trials (a cost borne by Philadelphians), and has never been shown to deter crime. Mr. Krasner believes addressing the gun violence crisis should be a top priority in Philadelphia and supports public health solutions to the gun violence. To that end, his office advocates for increased funding and use of evidence-based violence interruption programs in neighborhoods impacted by gun violence.
Mr. Krasner has done much to reverse the destructive wave of mass incarcerations and instill equity to the criminal justice system. The Second Ward Democrats support Mr. Krasner in seeking a second term to continue his visionary work.
To learn more, visit KrasnerForDA.com.