Historic Settlement Announced in Philly Police Violence Case
On March 20, 2023, the Abolitionist Law Center, the Legal Defense Fund, and the law firm of Kairys, Rudovsky, Messing, Feinberg & Lin LLP announced an unprecedented settlement with the City of Philadelphia for the Philadelphia Police Department’s (PPD) violent, militaristic attack on people in...
Making Noise & Making News: March 2023
Our litigators, organizers, and volunteers, and the larger abolition and decarceration movement we’re part of, have been running at full speed the last few months.
We’ve been in the streets and in the courts, in front of the cameras and behind the scenes, fighting for freedom and an end to state violence.
My Freedom, Five Years On (A Msg From Robert Saleem Holbrook)
"I exited prison with a singular determination and commitment to fight against mass incarceration just as relentlessly and boldly as its proponents fought to keep me behind bars, and to prioritize the leadership of currently and formerly incarcerated people and their families." - Robert Saleem Holbr...
ACJ's Medical Neglect Leads to Life-Threatening Emergency for Denzelle Kendrick
Denzelle Kendrick January 26, 2023, Pittsburgh: The Abolitionist Law Center is demanding that the Allegheny County Jail provide immediate medical care for Denzelle Kendrick, a medically vulnerable individual currently incarcerated at the facility. Mr. Kendrick has suffered his entire life fr...
We’re fighting & winning in PA, and we need your help!
As I often recount, I was a 16-year-old child when I was arrested. My offense resulted in me being sentenced as an adult, to spend the rest of my life behind bars, with no chance for parole.I survived decades in Pennsylvania state prisons, including around 10 years in solitary confinement, ...
We're Hiring a Communications Director!
Help us achieve our abolitionist messaging and communications goals! Bring your creative, experienced, energetic self to our dynamic and growing organization as our next Communications Director.
Plaintiffs bring class action lawsuit challenging the pervasive use of probation detainers in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pa. – Six currently detained individuals filed a class action lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania against three Allegheny County judges; Administrative Judge Jill Rangos and Court of Common Pleas Judges Anthony Mariani, and Kelly Bigley, as well as Jail Warden Orlando Harper and Director of Probation Frank Scherer and other probation department officials...
ALC Fall 2022 Update
It’s been a HUGE three months at ALC. We’ve come hard at Death By Incarceration, solitary confinement, abusive and discriminatory judges and court practices, and the torturous conditions inside Pennsylvania’s largest county jails. We’ve collaborated and built power with individuals and groups directly impacted by mass incarceration and other forms of state violence in communities around the state. And our movement, clients, work, and staff members have made media headlines, been part of high profile events, and garnered impressive recognition.
A Luta Continua – Reflections from Robert Saleem Holbrook, ALC Executive Director
"Our fight will continue until we all see the other side of prison bars. And then our work will continue anew. One critical difference, however, is now, mothers need not look any further than ALC. We exist so that no mother is alone in this struggle to release our sons and daughters from a system designed to oppress Black, brown, and poor people."
Friends and family of ALC client John 'Yahya' Moore launch official supporter campaign
Friends and family members of Abolitionist Law Center client, John 'Yahya' Moore launched their official supporter campaign for the 49 year-old Philadelphian on his birthday last week. Moore, who also goes by Yahya, was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death by incarceration (life without parole) 26 years ago.