People

Jan. 18, 2017 11:30 am

Keir Bradford-Grey was mulling a run for district attorney

Philly's public defender was courted by billionaire George Soros, but decided against making a run for office.

Keir Bradford-Grey speaking at a DNC panel event.

(Screenshot via YouTube)

Philadelphia is nearly a third of the way through its three-year, $3.5 million dollar MacArthur Foundation grant to lower the prison population by 34 percent, and leaders in the reentry community (and the city at large) are watching closely as the race for District Attorney unfolds.

Whoever is elected from the field of five candidates will face pressure to help meet grant goals, which include implementing pre-arrest diversion programs and alternatives to cash bail.

Now, according to a report from Philadelphia magazine, talk of a run at the office from Defender Association chief Keir Bradford-Grey — a staunch justice advocate who has called for alternatives to cash bail and the establishment of new diversion courts — has come to an end.

The public defender was being courted by associates of billionaire financier George Soros, whose backing of progressive Working Families Party helped both mayor Jim Kenney and New York City mayor Bill De Blasio win their respective elections.

Bradford-Grey told Philly mag she “can’t walk away from” the work she’s doing at the Defender Association. In an interview with Generocity in September, the public defender spoke of her dissatisfaction with the state of justice reform, stating the need to focus on the child welfare system and community engagement.

Bradford-Grey is a “finisher,” said reentry advocate and Defender Association board member Bill Cobb. But with the public defender opting out of a run, the reentry community will have to seek a new champion.

“There’s an amazing opportunity for whoever’s elected to that office to be smart on crime,” said Cobb. “This excessive culture of punishment that impairs people who are incarcerated’s ability to fully be restored as Americans.”

From our Partners

Incumbent District Attorney Seth Williams (who has long-claimed to be “smart on crime”) told Generocity recently that he was feeling confident in his re-election, using his now-oft-repeated tagline,”The more the merrier.”

Williams, the only Black candidate in the race, might be feeling a little more confident without Bradford-Grey in that merry bunch of hopefuls.

-30-

From our Partners

Commitments to Social Justice and Inclusion

Standing on the Promise

Celebrating 10 years of POWER, Bishop Dwayne Royster looks to the future with a new sense of urgency

SPONSORED

Generocity Philly

Meet Kim Andrews, new executive director for The Fund for Women and Girls

Philadelphia,PA

DiverseForce

Director of Communications

Apply Now
8033 Germantown Avenue Philadelphia, PA 19118

harp-weaver LLC

Administrative & Grants Associate

Apply Now
Hamilton, NJ

Grounds For Sculpture

Manager of Wellness Programs

Apply Now

Dennis and Lee Horton say their own grief and trauma helped them to help others

Homelessness in reentry is a serious concern. Here’s what Philly is doing about it

Opinion: Historical underinvestment and continuing discrimination is violence against the AAPI community

SPONSORED

Generocity Philly

Be the leader to bring a 26-year mission into the future in Chester County

Central Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania Prison Society

Prison Monitoring Manager

Apply Now
Philadelphia, PA

Play On Philly

Director of Education

Apply Now
Philadelphia

Ceiba

Bilingual Program Coordinator

Apply Now
   
       
       

Subscribe to Generocity

       
* indicates required