[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6660773,"mediaKeyId","2433056-84042d874c8f6fb9e36262fdca94ff5a","parentId",2433056,"title","Defenders urge case management, social workers and faster FER placement after Kensington testimony","audioSeconds",305,"startMs",5759000,"endMs",6064000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2433056-84042d874c8f6fb9e36262fdca94ff5a&start=5759&end=6064","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2433056-84042d874c8f6fb9e36262fdca94ff5a/thumbnail_5759000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6660773/Philadelphia-City/Philadelphia-County/Pennsylvania/Defenders-urge-case-management-social-workers-and-faster-FER-placement-after-Kensington-testimony","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6660773-ab27dfe2c13574ea9486dea6febe1464/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186835&Signature=jUvpZBaXMxc9fglYzij-VdbP8hIDCvAu-t9OtbZ2wKG1bqmSxTsKjZ6hLokdzN3psN2~IhI5Iel1GnlQbODkDYhpgW7YY6TFvAPy226Jf6DYPFxc6sVxSZAIpCHHDAnUM8ow4SPHXp9y3nG8E~6koZk8T~-2rT~kWgq6euH~YsIZRJ5QfffZnBHrIf298i9URW7eLnsCr60NkHj-Ig99PlBVkcDBodE~-yMFCfn3LSTxJ7Dy5aQmxDQrNuMGCfm4l13fBjXZmmByPyWDHvkBBusnGNs4oFTWhLI44hMNmW2bZy3ea88xNZuvcw69qApnO-iWQKiMpbPs2hfmS2afYQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Philadelphia City Council","date","2025-02-27T17:52:15.76Z","article","The Defender Association of Philadelphia told the special committee on Kensington that delays in post-arrest assessments and a shortage of in-house social work capacity are creating gaps that reduce the effectiveness of diversion programs.

Keisha Hudson, chief defender for the Defender Association, said defenders represented 44,000 adults in 2024 and flagged a shortfall of 29 social workers to meet client needs. \"Last year, we represented 44,000 adults,\" Hudson said. \"With that 44,000 client population, we only have 29 social workers.\" She told the committee the defender office had previously requested $2.5 million for 25 social workers and is now asking for an initial, place-based investment focused on Kensington: a $1 million request that would fund five social workers plus targeted case-management capacity in the neighborhood.

Hudson described the FER (forensic intensive recovery) pathway as a missed opportunity when evaluations and bed placements are slow. \"It takes over 2 months on average for people to be released through FER,\" she said, and added that about \"18 percent of people who were referred and released before evaluation came back through the system and were rearrested.\" She recommended clearer, faster communication among prison staff, counsel, the courts and community providers so people are not released in the middle of the night without placement or follow-up.

Andrew Pappas, managing director of pretrial at the Defender Association, described how Neighborhood Wellness Court currently operates one morning a week; he said triage nurses from Penn Medicine's addiction medicine teams screen participants and that higher-volume operations will require more staff and an expanded schedule. Pappas said the defender office provides intensive case management for high-needs clients but noted limited capacity means only a subset of clients currently receive wraparound services.

Caleb Arnold, chief of adult diversion for the district attorney's office, testified about program outcomes and said drug-court graduation rates and AMP completion numbers show strong outcomes for those who finish treatment. He reported 641 AMP completions last year with a low number of subsequent arrests among that cohort and said drug-treatment court showed a 77 percent graduation rate with a 7 percent recidivism rate in one program described.

The defenders urged the council to fund place-based defender supports and better funding for reentry and housing, arguing case-manager-led follow-up is essential to measure and sustain diversion outcomes. No formal votes were taken; the committee asked the administration and the defenders to return with more precise cost and staffing plans.

Ending note: Defenders asked for clearer interagency data sharing and greater investment in in-court and place-based case management to make diversion programs more effective and to protect neighborhood residents during and after the pilot.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Special Committee on Kensington 2-26-2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Defender Association told the council committee it represents tens of thousands of clients citywide and urged investment in social workers and case management to improve diversion outcomes; defenders raised delays in the FER evaluation and requested dedicated funding for Kensington-focused services.","taxTitle","Philadelphia City, Philadelphia County , Pennsylvania","taxId",80615,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6660778,"District attorney describes enforcement against Kensington drug and shooting groups; civil-asset funds used for local prevention",569,4767000,5336000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2433056-84042d874c8f6fb9e36262fdca94ff5a&start=4767&end=5336","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2433056-84042d874c8f6fb9e36262fdca94ff5a/thumbnail_4767000.jpg","/articles/6660778/Philadelphia-City/Philadelphia-County/Pennsylvania/District-attorney-describes-enforcement-against-Kensington-drug-and-shooting-groups-civil-asset-funds-used-for-local-prevention","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6660778-359a2eb201494c8ddff937e2f96e27a8/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186835&Signature=OfWhMIVoXHlOhf0th4Dkj3CXBxXo4slDlH1PA6RbYy3QwkneQkKn-3bv7gjtyqMSuP696hjZ7Gurqh03e~aXCQLZJreXTDstc5pP~4LLjE9D2C38CNEs95PD4WHr0y3ezIa-GB68U2UQ2bvA3ZS3F5uqnTQm7IgmKxlz~xJsdPjydpUrmvmQ-XsUcJn6kWdABITunnMLIfKOAEBvQUSV28Byw77a2Raxp4FerM1HTpUqESFLvhBTZAD5J74-R0i7uEXSw6iAkd4T890wXc864hRegfyoRyHstcE7s2T8weBDw69TkqBpJBRNT47i~R7IMYnz4o2-HlKHx9P2R6xR6A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District Attorney Larry Krasner told the special committee on Kensington that vigorous enforcement against violent and commercial drug networks must proceed alongside expanded diversion and prevention work, and that his office is investing civil asset forfeiture funds in local community groups to bolster prevention.

Krasner described recent felony-level cases his office is pursuing and the ongoing work of a gun violence task force. He said the office has charged defendants in high-profile shootings and uncovered cases where firearms were illegally transferred on Kensington streets; he highlighted one case involving 18 firearms purchased legally then moved into illegal transfers. Krasner also read a list of shooting crews his office and partners have taken down or greatly weakened over recent years, saying both enforcement and prevention are required to protect residents.

\"There is a difference between the disease of addiction and people who hurt people,\" Krasner told the committee, stressing that prosecution remains essential for violent actors while diversion is targeted to people whose primary issue is substance use disorder.

Krasner said his office has used civil asset forfeiture funds to make grants to community organizations to support prevention and neighborhood services. He reported that over seven years the office had invested \"almost $4,000,000\" from forfeiture proceeds in local groups and cited examples including small local nonprofits and programs offering arts, sports and reentry services. Krasner framed the spending as focused on small organizations that need upfront funding, rather than large-dollar reimbursements.

Kimberly Essek, supervisor of the DA's Economic Crimes Division, described a vertical-prosecution retail-theft task force that she said now covers more than 1,500 transcripts and 500 offenders for targeted prosecution and follow-up. Essek said the unit works closely with police and merchants to gather repeated-offender data and to secure warrants where offenders are repeatedly present even when police could not respond to the initial calls. She also described an alerting system used by merchants and police so stores can warn one another and officers about prolific offenders.

Assistant DA Paul Riddell, who runs the Dangerous Drug Offenders Unit, said his team often works embedded with federal partners and the DEA to pursue larger supply-chain investigations that have led to multi-jurisdictional indictments and seizures. He described a multi-million-dollar federal case that traced narcotics and cash to a cartel-affiliated supply chain.

Committee members pressed officials about prosecution priorities and community protections; Krasner and his deputies said enforcement, prevention grants and data sharing with city agencies are complementary components of a strategy to reduce shootings, supply and the harms that degrade residents' quality of life in Kensington.

Ending note: Krasner said his office is willing to share its data and analytics resources with city partners for evaluation of programs and to improve evidence-based decisions on diversion and enforcement.","District Attorney Larry Krasner told the committee his office has been prosecuting major drug and shooting groups affecting Kensington and has directed civil asset forfeiture funds toward local community organizations; he urged combining enforcement with prevention and evidence-driven diversion.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6660783,"Philadelphia officials cite early wins from PAD, pilot Kensington wellness court and map expansion needs",796,258000,1054000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2433056-84042d874c8f6fb9e36262fdca94ff5a&start=258&end=1054","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2433056-84042d874c8f6fb9e36262fdca94ff5a/thumbnail_258000.jpg","/articles/6660783/Philadelphia-City/Philadelphia-County/Pennsylvania/Philadelphia-officials-cite-early-wins-from-PAD-pilot-Kensington-wellness-court-and-map-expansion-needs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6660783-514cf61aea3a393ab353062bba063647/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186835&Signature=A5auBaPdmwPQqsdQFTMe-3ZvVmbHD-b4iodIgn1WzL3AnbxpIFqdkFGVBOWl9fUSoqvCC5szV1QBk17HXBYdfddfESuKnW2WJo29BIYTkjXnuKpPVJ4TWitudrRC5PQd2-utujvZbRtSgxuWVWJ59Wzn0MUDVOCO77K~Ce2L7ilEqTLiKoUGoNOBUwD5-1U4XuGk1azRR7kR122W4VElr9SlLbfbv~HRxyKWkGU0rDo1LE9CeJFceDOmXwc66zYpC6x07z6gDocWrNgqgMBduqNDDc-pJp0l9GaD1p96x3je8WprlahkAEBlMXKKQXKO73Hh~a~cnw4MPlSnT0TVbg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Philadelphia City officials told a special City Council committee that the city's expanding diversion programs'including Police Assisted Diversion (PAD) and a one-week-a-week Neighborhood Wellness Court pilot in Kensington'are showing early promise but will require faster access to treatment, better handoffs and more housing to meet demand.

Chief Public Safety Director Adam Gere told the committee the administration has mapped diversion programs \"within the sequential intercept model framework\" and described diversion as an approach that \"has a potential to improve the lives of individuals suffering from substance use disorders, the quality of life of a neighborhood, and the overall safety of our city.\" Gere said the administration is focusing on both upstream \"deflection\" efforts (non-911 crisis response and co-response teams) and post-arrest diversion that provides off-ramps away from prosecution.

Gere described the Kensington Wellness Support Center at B and Lehigh as already open extended hours and on track to operate 24/7 in April, and said the pilot Neighborhood Wellness Court launched last month. The pilot pairs same-day screening and a judicial hearing for summary offenses with medical screening inside the support center, on-site legal advocacy and immediate case management. If the judge approves diversion, participants may receive a certified recovery specialist transport directly to treatment. Gere said diversion lengths in the pilot range from about 30 days up to a 90-day maximum.

Deputy Commissioner Francis Healy of the Philadelphia Police Department, who oversees behavioral health unit operations that include PAD, traced PAD'Philadelphia's pre-booking diversion model'to LEAD-style programs and said PAD began citywide expansion this year after a multi-year pilot and implementation period. Healy said PAD is split between arrest-deferral referrals and social referrals (people who ask officers for help on the street), and noted officers are screening out ineligible cases for reasons such as outstanding warrants, uncooperative behavior or prior PAD participation. Healy said the department has experienced more than 2,000 PAD interactions and that PAD officers are doing intensive social-service work'including obtaining identification documents and reconnecting clients with family members as part of placement and benefits applications.

Officials offered early program data and caveats. Gere and Healy described roughly 2,000 arrests referred to PAD in 2024 and reported a low formal rejection rate; Gere said only 67 of nearly 2,000 referrals in 2024 were rejected as ineligible because the person had already gone through PAD twice. Kurt August, executive director of the Office of Criminal Justice, said some PAD data shows hundreds of arrests were diverted to services and that partners report high percentages of inpatient placement for those who accept services (figures described during testimony included an example year in which 82 percent of PAD'accepted arrests received inpatient placement and 157 received outpatient placement, with others receiving social services or emergency mental health transport).

Committee members and witnesses identified three recurring operational challenges the city must solve to scale diversion: (1) withdrawal and medical stabilization'participants may leave treatment if withdrawal management is delayed or inadequate; (2) bench warrants and out-of-county warrants can block diversion eligibility and require cross-jurisdiction coordination; and (3) post-referral case management and tracking are limited, especially for PAD referrals upstream of court-based diversion, reducing the ability to measure medium-term outcomes.

Gere and Healy described steps already taken: weekly multi-agency debriefs for the pilot, on-site leadership presence on Wellness Court days, 12 operational changes made after early pilot review (including expanded staff and streamlined intake), and active efforts to clear local bench warrants so participants are eligible for diversion. Healy acknowledged more work is needed on out-of-county warrant processes and said the department has initiated outreach to neighboring counties.

Officials and council members repeatedly framed diversion as part of a broader public-safety and public-health strategy rather than a standalone solution. Gere said the administration will \"go towards what works\" and adjust programs as evidence about outcomes emerges. Several council members pressed officials for a clearer operational \"road map\" of how PAD, Neighborhood Wellness Court and DA diversion (AMP and others) fit together and asked for specific, timely data about placements, program completions and recidivism.

The hearing produced no formal vote; officials asked the committee to sustain multi-agency collaboration and to consider dedicated funding for staffing and for housing and withdrawal-management capacity as the pilot scales.

Ending note: Council members said they want more frequent, operational reporting as the pilot moves into warmer months when referral volumes typically rise, and asked the administration to return with a clearer timeline and cost estimate for expanding the Neighborhood Wellness Court schedule.","City officials briefed the council special committee on Kensington on the city's diversion \"continuum,\" reporting early positive indicators from Police Assisted Diversion (PAD) and the new Neighborhood Wellness Court pilot while identifying gaps in housing, withdrawal management and interagency data that must be fixed for larger scale success.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Defenders urge case management, social workers and faster FER placement after Kensington testimony

District attorney describes enforcement against Kensington drug and shooting groups; civil-asset funds used for local prevention

Philadelphia officials cite early wins from PAD, pilot Kensington wellness court and map expansion needs