Last spring, we presented four "future histories" of Greater Philadelphia. Now we're back with a closer look at those elements common to achieving success across all four. We'll discuss what those priority areas are, the goals to work toward, and how collaboration will work going forward. It might be Groundhog Day, but we can promise that it won't be a repeat of anything you've heard before.... ...more

As part of its efforts to increase public safety, reduce recidivism, and decrease public spending on criminal justice functions, the City of Philadelphia has joined a growing number of local and state governments focused on connecting formerly incarcerated individuals with employment. The rationale - backed by an emerging research literature - is that former inmates are less likely to commit crimes causing them to return to prison if they become gainfully employed. In addition to the social benefits to be derived from reduced crime, there are significant positive economic impacts associated with employing the formerly incarcerated, including increased earnings for former inmates, increased tax revenues from employment, and avoided costs in the form of spending on criminal justice agencies.  ...more