Special Committee Co-Chairs

  • Bethel160X160Kevin J. Bethel
    Kevin J. Bethel is a retired Deputy Police Commissioner in the Philadelphia Police Department, the fourth-largest police department in the nation, with over 6,600 sworn personnel. Prior to his retirement in January 2016, Mr. Bethel commanded Patrol Operations for the entire city. This included oversight of the 21 Patrol Districts, Neighborhood Services Unit, Philadelphia School District Police, and Community Relations Unit.

    Bethel was recently named a Stoneleigh Foundation Fellow in the Juvenile Justice Research and Reform Lab within the Department of Psychology in Drexel University. In this role, Bethel will build upon his extensive work in the Juvenile Justice Field; including working to develop a School Diversion Program within the School District of Philadelphia. The program diverts first time, low-level juvenile offenders from justice involvement by utilizing programs within the Department of Human Services. In its first year, the program reduced the number of school arrests by 54 percent.

    Bethel currently serves on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency’s Disproportionate Minority Contact Subcommittee and is a former member of the National Academy of Sciences Committee on Law and Justice. He is also a member of the Youth Violence Collaborative and Youth Engagement for the National League of Cities Collaboration, a member of the Philadelphia Juvenile Detention Alternative Initiative, a faculty member for the International Association of Chiefs of Police Juvenile Justice Leadership Institute, and a regular lecturer on school diversion and racial and ethnic disparities at Georgetown University.

     

  • BradfordGrey160X160Keir Bradford-Grey
    Keir Bradford-Grey became chief defender for the Defender Association of Philadelphia in the summer of 2015. Prior to Mrs. Grey’s appointment she was chief defender for Montgomery County (PA), an assistant federal defender at the Delaware Federal Defenders Office from 2007- 2012, and between 1999 and 2007 she was an assistant public defender at the Defender Association of Philadelphia. Among her accomplishments were: pioneering the use of DNA, linguistics and handwriting expertise in constructing effective criminal defenses; earning a reputation for high ethical standards, and a keen ability to combine research, analysis, logical reasoning with raw instinct to develop unconventional trial strategies; and collaborating with criminal justice stakeholders to develop individualized sentencing alternatives that improve the life outcomes of those in low-income communities.

    Since 2012, Bradford-Grey has implemented a number of groundbreaking reforms placing client-centered representation at the heart of her vision. She established the “Back on Track” program, which partners the Public Defender Office with Big Brother Big Sister of SEPA to match children who have been in contact with the criminal justice system with mentors equipped to help them navigate life’s challenges. Bradford-Grey collaborated with Villanova School of Law to provide a weekly Criminal Record Expungement Clinic and restructured the juvenile unit of the Public Defender Office to ensure children and their families understand the justice system and lawyers are trained to recognize and respond to unmet needs in a child’s life (e.g., mentorship, mental health treatment, drug and alcohol treatment).

     

  • Jones160X160Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr.
    The Honorable Curtis Jones Jr. represents the 4th District in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Currently in his 3rd term, Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr. is the Chair of Public Safety and Vice Chairman to the Committees of Park, Recreation & Cultural Affairs and Appropriations.

    Councilman Curtis Jones, Jr. is a champion for education, an ally for criminal justice and a friend of the environment. His notable legislation includes the Philadelphia Mortgage Diversion Program, which prevented thousands of residents from losing their homes, along with a second moratorium on Sheriff Sales during the month of January 2011 to further protect, preserve and defend the homes of Philadelphians; the Philadelphia Internship Tax Credit, which will allow high school, college, and vocational students in our City to receive a stipend for their work. Councilman Jones, Jr. has also collaborated with both District Attorney Seth Williams and former Mayor Michael Nutter for the Witness Intimidation Law, which emphasizes the importance of eyewitness testimony in the justice system and a renewed commitment to protecting those who courageously step forward to report crime.