On Jan. 17, the Franklin Towne Charter Criminal Justice Program presented a Criminal Prevention Symposium highlighting the program’s study of crime trends as they relate to Philadelphia.
Included in the program were state Sen. Christine Tartaglione, Councilmen Nicolas O’Rourke and Mike Driscoll, along with representatives from Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, Holy Family and La Salle universities, the Anti-Violence Partnership of Philadelphia and seven officers from the Philadelphia Police Department’s 15th District.
Franklin Towne’s criminal justice course program is a comprehensive examination of the entire criminal justice field. It focuses on all aspects of the United States criminal justice system from the arrest through the trial process and beyond.
Students are exposed to both civil and criminal law and potential careers in the field of criminal justice. The program discusses the historical underpinnings of the legal system, crime in America, investigations, the penal system and career paths in the justice system.
The students offered proposals that ran the gamut of potential criminal justice reform and support. Careers 4 Kids (presented by Jaimie Schaffer), Basketballs over Bullets (Meiara Staton), Eyes for the Youth (Jazmyne Moseley and Charlei Torrence) and Kids Development Camp (Maya Moore and Ramik Smith) offered options to steer young people away from a criminal path.
Post Prison Preparation (Miranda Cardonick and DeloraAnn Walton), Next Step Program (Vanessa Casiano) and New Beginnings (Emely Rosa and Yunick Pierre) focused on life beyond the criminal justice system.
Defeat the Streets (Maximillian Payne), A Chance at Life (Antoinette Nash) and Hope and Prosperity (Victoria Guerrero and Mia Ortiz) provided alternatives to a life outside the law.
The program had special significance for Franklin Towne for two reasons.
The date chosen is the birthday of Franklin Towne’s school patron, Benjamin Franklin, who helped create the Philadelphia Society for Alleviating the Miseries of Public Prisons, which is now known as the Pennsylvania Prison Society.
The project also honors the memory of Isaiah Pagan, a Class of 2022 graduate who was killed last month in a shooting inside a mini-mart on the 5200 block of Oxford Ave. ••
