fighting for equality, compassion, and dignity in the criminal justice system since 2010

Our Mission

ACCR confronts the injustice that leads to death sentences, death by incarceration, and other excessive punishments through direct representation, impact litigation, training and assistance to legal teams.

We strive to level the playing field by combating racial and economic inequities in the criminal justice system, exposing prosecutorial and police misconduct, and rectifying ineffective representation. ACCR fills a void created by the lack of adequate funding for poor defendants and provides hope to those who have lost it.

Read

Why the Biden Administration should spare Tree of Life shooter Robert Bowers’ life

Rabbi David Saperstein

Good News, Pennsylvania

On Thursday, February 16th 2023, Governor Josh Shapiro called a press conference at the Mosaic Community Church in West Philadelphia to announce the continuation of the moratorium on executions, stating that he would refuse to sign any execution warrant. He also became the first Pennsylvania governor to specifically call on the legislature for an abolition bill.

We and many of the other organizations in attendance are grateful for his stance and hopeful for future work to come. Check out Marc Bookman’s latest blog on the occasion, some of the other media coverage, and photographs from the event below.

Marc’s Blog

Media Coverage

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New to the ACCR Team

Meet Frances Harvey,
Staff Attorney.

Read Frances’ Blog Post

Podcast with The Davis Vangaurd’s David Greenwald

More Podcasts

Death Penalty News

News

Mar 21, 2023

Should PA Abolish? Pro/Con

Mar 21, 2023

Feb 7, 2023

Shapiro and the Moratorium

Feb 7, 2023

https://www.post-gazette.com/news/state/2023/02/05/shapiro-must-decide-whether-and-how-to-keep-wolf-s-death-penalty-moratorium-in-place/stories/202302050045

With all the concerns raised by the task force, it’s very unlikely that Mr. Shapiro will allow executions to resume, said Kathleen Lucas, executive director of Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.

“We're still the only state in the country that doesn't fund attorneys for people that can't afford to hire one. We've got police and prosecutors who've engaged in serious misconduct. There's one case where the DA's office told the defendant that if he didn't plead guilty, they would seek the death penalty against him. Guess what? He wasn't even eligible for the death penalty,” she said.

“You just can't carry out an execution when you've already been warned that the system is broken. There's no way Gov. Shapiro is going to end the moratorium,” she said.

Feb 7, 2023

Jan 9, 2023

Fair Defense Funding is a MUST

Jan 9, 2023

https://triblive.com/opinion/rob-perkins-fair-defense-funding-is-a-must-for-criminal-justice-reform/

“Our local system for providing counsel to poor people facing criminal charges violates people’s constitutional rights. The most pressing problem is chronic underfunding. Attorney compensation in particular hasn’t increased in 17 years.

Predictably, unfair pay leads to underperformance. This should matter to all of us. When defense attorneys fail to do their job effectively, the criminal legal system malfunctions — and good people’s lives are ruined. Allegheny County President Judge Kim Berkeley Clark must act to improve this system.”

- Rob Perkins for Trib Live

Jan 9, 2023