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Philadelphia Commission for Effective Criminal Justice (Pa.) Records

Notifications

Held at: Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center [Contact Us]

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
URB 41
Repository:
Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center
Extent:
15 linear feet (35 boxes)
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
[Description and date of item], [Box/folder number], Philadelphia Commission for Effective Criminal Justice (Pa.) Records, URB 41, Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Date:
1964-1979 (inclusive)
Creator:
Philadelphia Commission for Effective Criminal Justice (Pa.)
Form:
Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws (administrative records), Correspondence, Financial records, Manuscripts, Minutes (administrative records), Newsletters, and Reports
Abstract:

The Philadelphia Commission for Effective Criminal Justice was founded in 1974 by Philadelphia Bar Association Chancellor William R. Klaus and Supreme Court Judge Edmund Spaeth, Jr. to work toward major, system-wide changes in the Philadelphia criminal justice system. Relying on grants from area corporations and private foundations, the Commission's eighteen-member board of directors addressed the failure of the system to provide fair and effective criminal justice.

In the wake of the important 1972 case, Jackson v. Hendrick, which held that the conditions of confinement within the Philadelphia County prison system were unconstitutional and in violation of state laws, Walter Cohen became Master of the Court of Common Pleas. In January 1975 he also took over as Executive Director of the Philadelphia Commission, cementing a close relationship between the Court and Commission staffs. From 1975 until its funding ran out in 1979, the Commission undertook a detailed study of the conditions outlined in Jackson v. Hendrick as well as such other important criminal justice issues as calendaring of judges, community and private sector input, screening and diversion, short-term detention, and agency coordination. The staff also conducted studies involving Philadelphia's criminal justice institutions, including the municipal court, the sheriff's office and the court of common pleas. In addition to various study reports, the Commission published, in 1975, a criminal justice guide as well as a monthly newsletter, Connections.

This collection contains founding documents of the Commission, including its statement of purpose, articles of incorporation and its memorandum of understanding; correspondence, memoranda, minutes of meetings, reports and drafts; correspondence with the city private agencies and foundations concerning financial support for the Commission; budget and grant proposals, budgets, expenditures, reports to funders, accountant correspondence and grant applications which detail the Commission's project plans. Also included are subject files containing correspondence, notes, reports, drafts and printed material relating to various aspects of criminal justice, produced and collected for the Commission's use, and newspaper clippings, covering aspects of Philadelphia criminal justice as well as the system in other cities.

The collection is arranged into 5 series as follows:

Series 1: Administration, 1974-1979, undated
Series 2: Commission Funding, 1974-1979
Series 3: Subject File, 1964-1979, undated
Series 4: Newspaper Clippings, 1970-1978
Series 5: Addenda, 1967-1978, undated

Deposited through Walter W. Cohen, Executive Director, 1979 (Accession 401).

Finding aid revised according to contemporary archival standards in June 2015.

People
Organization
Subject
Place

Publisher
Temple University Libraries: Special Collections Research Center
Finding Aid Author
Machine-readable finding aid created by: Rajkumar Natarajan, Sky Global Services India (P) Ltd.
Finding Aid Date
April 2024
Access Restrictions

Collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

The Philadelphia Commission for Effective Criminal Justice (Pa.) Records are in custody of the Special Collections Research Center, Temple University Libraries. Intellectual property rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for determining the identity of rights holders and obtaining their permission for publication and for other purposes where stated.

Collection Inventory

Scope and Contents

Series 1 contains founding documents of the Commission, its statement of purpose, articles of incorporation and its memorandum of understanding. Also included in the series are correspondence, memoranda, minutes of meetings, reports and drafts, chronicling the decision-making and efforts of the board of directors, the director and the staff, as well as the newsletter, which outlines Commission progress.

Background and Activities, undated.
Box 1 Folder 1
Articles of Incorporation, undated.
Box 1 Folder 2
Statement of Purpose, undated.
Box 1 Folder 3
Memorandum of Understanding, undated.
Box 1 Folder 4
Board Biographies.
Box 1 Folder 5
Board of Directors, Members, 1974-1977.
Box 1 Folder 6
Board of Directors, Calendars, 1974-1975.
Box 1 Folder 7
Board of Directors, Correspondence, 1974-1979.
Box 1 Folder 8-9
Board of Directors, Involvement, 1975-1978.
Box 1 Folder 10
Board of Directors, Meetings Agenda, 1974-1979.
Box 1 Folder 11-12
Board of Directors, Meetings Minutes, 1974-1979.
Box 1 Folder 13-14
Board of Directors, Memoranda, 1974-1978.
Box 2 Folder 15
Board of Directors, Notes, 1974-1975.
Box 2 Folder 16
Commission Activities, 1974.
Box 2 Folder 17
Director Reports, 1974-1975.
Box 2 Folder 18
Director's Assistant Correspondence, 1977-1978.
Box 2 Folder 19
Executive Committee Notes, 1974.
Box 2 Folder 20
Newsletter, 1974-1977.
Box 2 Folder 21
Newsletter Correspondence, 1974-1977.
Box 2 Folder 22-23
Newsletter Mailing List, undated.
Box 2 Folder 24
Program Management Plan, 1975.
Box 2 Folder 25
Progress Reports, 1975-1977.
Box 2 Folder 26
Project Proposals, 1974-1975.
Box 3 Folder 27
Projects, 1977-1978.
Box 3 Folder 28
Staff, 1976-1977.
Box 3 Folder 29
Staff Memos, 1977.
Box 3 Folder 30
Staff Tasks, 1976.
Box 3 Folder 31
Status Reports, 1975-1976.
Box 3 Folder 32

Scope and Contents

Series 2 consists of correspondence with the city private agencies and foundations concerning financial support for the Commission. Also contained in this series are budget and grant proposals, budgets, expenditures, reports to funders, accountant correspondence and grant applications which detail the Commission's project plans.

Accountant Correspondence, 1975-1979.
Box 3 Folder 1
Budget and Expenditures, 1976-1977.
Box 3 Folder 2
Budget Proposals, 1976-1979.
Box 3 Folder 3
Consultants, 1976.
Box 3 Folder 4
Funding Proposal, 1974.
Box 3 Folder 5
Funding Ideas, 1974-1977.
Box 3 Folder 6
Grant Applications, 1975.
Box 3 Folder 7
Grant Proposal, 1976-1977.
Box 3 Folder 8
Private Sector Funding, 1976.
Box 3 Folder 9
Reports to Funders, 1976-1977.
Box 4 Folder 10
Booz, Allen & Hamilton, 1977-1978.
Box 4 Folder 11
City Controller, 1972-1977.
Box 4 Folder 12
City Council, 1975-1977.
Box 4 Folder 13
City District Attorney, 1974-1978.
Box 4 Folder 14
City Managing Director, 1975-1978.
Box 4 Folder 15
City Police Department, 1975-1978.
Box 4 Folder 16
City Solicitor, 1975.
Box 4 Folder 17
Edna McConnell Clark Foundation, 1978-1979.
Box 4 Folder 18
Continental Bank, 1974-1975.
Box 4 Folder 19
Fidelity Bank, 1974-1977.
Box 4 Folder 20
Fidelity Mutual Insurance Company, 1975-1976.
Box 4 Folder 21
First Pennsylvania, 1974-1976.
Box 4 Folder 22
Germantown Savings Bank, 1974-1977.
Box 4 Folder 23
Girard Bank, 1974-1979.
Box 4 Folder 24
Greater Philadelphia Movement, 1974-1977.
Box 4 Folder 25
A Thomas Skelton Harrison Foundation.
Box 4 Folder 25
Miscellaneous Foundations, 1974-1976.
Box 4 Folder 26-27
William Penn Foundation, 1974-1977.
Box 4 Folder 28-29
Pew Charitable Trusts, 1975-1979.
Box 5 Folder 30
Philadelphia National Bank, 1974-1977.
Box 5 Folder 31
Philadelphia Partnership, 1974-1975.
Box 5 Folder 32
Philadelphia Savings Fund Society, 1974-1976.
Box 5 Folder 33
Quaker Chemical Corporation, 1974-1979.
Box 5 Folder 34
Rohm and Haas, 1974-1979.
Box 5 Folder 35
Rorer-Amchen, Incorporated, 1974-1975.
Box 5 Folder 36
Smith-Kline Corporation, 1974-1979.
Box 5 Folder 37
Sun Oil Company, 1975-1977.
Box 5 Folder 38
Scott Paper Company, 1974-1975.
Box 5 Folder 39
UGI Corporation, 1975.
Box 5 Folder 40
John Wanamaker, 1974-1976.
Box 5 Folder 41
Yarway Foundation, 1975-1977.
Box 5 Folder 42

Scope and Contents

Series 3 contains correspondence, notes, reports, drafts and printed material relating to various aspects of criminal justice, produced and collected for the Commission's use. The series is arranged alphabetically.

Admissions and Classification, 1975.
Box 5 Folder 1
Affidavits, 1976.
Box 5 Folder 2
Alcohol Decriminalization, 1974-1975.
Box 5 Folder 3
Bail, 1975-1977.
Box 5 Folder 4
Bail, 1975-1977.
Box 6 Folder 5
BASICS Study, 1975-1977.
Box 6 Folder 6-23
BASICS Study, 1975-1977.
Box 7 Folder 24-31
Bryn Mawr, 1973-1975.
Box 7 Folder 32
Calendaring, 1976-1978.
Box 7 Folder 33-36
Charts, undated.
Box 7 Folder 37
City Budget, 1976-1977.
Box 7 Folder 38
City of Philadelphia, 1973.
Box 7 Folder 39
City-State Planning, 1974.
Box 7 Folder 40
Civic Agency Catalog, 1975.
Box 7 Folder 41
Clearinghouse, 1975.
Box 8 Folder 42
Clerk of the Quarter Sessions, 1972-1977.
Box 8 Folder 43-44
Community-Based Corrections, 1972-1975.
Box 8 Folder 45
Community Courts, 1974-1975.
Box 8 Folder 46
Community Educational Programs, 1974-1975.
Box 8 Folder 47
Community Services, 1975-1976.
Box 8 Folder 48
Community Treatment Centers, 1975-1976.
Box 8 Folder 49
Comprehensive Plan & Study, undated.
Box 8 Folder 50
Conditional Release Project, 1974-1975.
Box 8 Folder 51
Conferences, 1974.
Box 8 Folder 52
Confidentiality, 1975-1976.
Box 8 Folder 53
Consortium Report-Analysis, 1975-1976.
Box 8 Folder 54
Consulting Research, 1972-1974.
Box 9 Folder 55
Contempt, 1976.
Box 9 Folder 56
Corrections, 1974-1976.
Box 9 Folder 57
Cost Analysis of Correctional Standards, 1975-1976.
Box 9 Folder 58
Court Bulletin, undated.
Box 9 Folder 59
Courts, 1974, 1976.
Box 9 Folder 60-61
Crime Statistics, 1975.
Box 9 Folder 62
Criminal Courts Operation - Commission Report, 1975.
Box 9 Folder 63
Criminal Justice Coordination, 1972-1977.
Box 9 Folder 64-66
Criminal Justice Coordinator, 1976.
Box 9 Folder 67
Criminal Justice Guide, 1976-1979.
Box 9 Folder 68
Criminal Justice Newsletter, 1975-1977.
Box 10 Folder 69
Criminal Justice Rules & Procedures, 1973-1976.
Box 10 Folder 70
Criminal Justice Standard & Goals, 1974.
Box 10 Folder 71
Criminal Justice System - Description, undated.
Box 10 Folder 72
Criminal Justice System Productivity Analysis, 1975.
Box 10 Folder 73
Data Base, 1974-1975.
Box 10 Folder 74
Davis/Crawford Report, 1975.
Box 10 Folder 75
Decriminalization, 1974.
Box 10 Folder 76
Defendant Dispositions, 1977.
Box 10 Folder 77
Defendant's Synopsis, 1975.
Box 10 Folder 78
Definitions, 1974.
Box 10 Folder 79
Detainers, 1974-1975.
Box 10 Folder 80
Detention, undated.
Box 10 Folder 81-85
Detention Center Model, 1972-1974.
Box 11 Folder 86
Detention Evaluation Study, 1974.
Box 11 Folder 87
District Attorney, 1978.
Box 11 Folder 88
District Attorney's Advisory Committee on Prisons, 1971.
Box 11 Folder 89
District Attorney's Office Organization Project, 1977.
Box 11 Folder 90
Diversion, 1975.
Box 11 Folder 91
Drug Diversion, 1977.
Box 11 Folder 92
Drug Treatment, 1976.
Box 11 Folder 93
Drunk Driving, 1974.
Box 11 Folder 94
Due Process, undated.
Box 11 Folder 95
Employment, 1975-1979.
Box 11 Folder 96-97
Evaluation, 1975.
Box 11 Folder 98
Ex-Offenders: Programs, 1978-1979.
Box 12 Folder 99
Forms, undated.
Box 12 Folder 100
G.S.A. Region 3, undated.
Box 12 Folder 101
Health and Welfare Council Notes and Meetings, 1977.
Box 12 Folder 102
House of Representatives, 1973-1978.
Box 12 Folder 103-105
Information Sharing Models, 1974-1976.
Box 12 Folder 106
Information Systems, 1975.
Box 12 Folder 107
Inmate Groups, 1975.
Box 13 Folder 108
Inmate Security: Observation, 1975.
Box 13 Folder 109
Inter Agency Agenda, 1975.
Box 13 Folder 110
Inter Agency Directions, 1974.
Box 13 Folder 111
Judges, 1970-1976.
Box 13 Folder 112
Judicial Council of Pennsylvania, 1974.
Box 13 Folder 113
Justice Center, 1974-1977.
Box 13 Folder 114
Justice Model, 1975-1976.
Box 13 Folder 115
Juveniles, 1971-1978.
Box 13 Folder 116-117
Law Cases, 1941-1976.
Box 13 Folder 118
Law Students: Memos, 1975-1976.
Box 14 Folder 119
LEAA, 1969-1977.
Box 14 Folder 120
Least Restrictive Alternatives, 1976-1977.
Box 14 Folder 121
Legal Developments, 1971.
Box 14 Folder 122
Legislation - Upcoming, 1974-1977.
Box 14 Folder 123
Legislation Analysis, 1976.
Box 14 Folder 124
Legislative Committee, 1973-1975.
Box 14 Folder 125
Legislative Information, 1974-1976.
Box 14 Folder 126
Loaned Executives, 1973.
Box 14 Folder 127
Management in Correctional Institutions, 1973-1975.
Box 14 Folder 128
Master Planning, 1975-1976.
Box 14 Folder 129-133
Master Planning Materials, 1975.
Box 15 Folder 134
Medical Research, 1972-1975.
Box 15 Folder 135
Michigan Criminal Justice Program, 1977-1978.
Box 15 Folder 136-138
Miscellaneous Notes, 1974-1975.
Box 15 Folder 139
Miscellaneous Reports and Drafts.
Box 15 Folder 140-141
Municipal Court Study, 1974-1977.
Box 15 Folder 142-144
Municipal Court Study, 1974-1977.
Box 16 Folder 145-158
Municipal Court Study, 1974-1977.
Box 17 Folder 159-166
Municipal Court Study, 1974-1977.
Box 18 Folder 167-173
Observation Studies, 1968-1970.
Box 18 Folder 174
Operations Improvement Program, 1977.
Box 18 Folder 175
Pennsylvania Joint Council on the Criminal Justice System, 1975-1979.
Box 19 Folder 176-183
Pennsylvania Joint Council on the Criminal Justice System, 1975-1979.
Box 20 Folder 184-188
Pennsylvania Program for Women & Girl Offenders, 1974-1977.
Box 20 Folder 189-190
Philadelphia City Council, 1972.
Box 21 Folder 191
Philadelphia Commission Directory, 1974-1976.
Box 21 Folder 192
Philadelphia Common Pleas & Municipal Courts, 1972-1978.
Box 21 Folder 193-199
Philadelphia's Regional Planning Council, 1976-1978.
Box 22 Folder 200
Plaintiff's Synopsis, 1976.
Box 22 Folder 201
Police, 1975.
Box 22 Folder 202
Political Primer, 1973.
Box 22 Folder 203
Priorities for Change, 1974.
Box 22 Folder 204
Priority Listing for Trials, 1975-1977.
Box 22 Folder 205-206
Prison Grievances, 1974-1975.
Box 22 Folder 207
Prison Insight Project, 1975.
Box 22 Folder 208-210
Prison Insight Project, 1975.
Box 23 Folder 211
Prison Programs, 1970-1975.
Box 23 Folder 212
Prison Research, 1970-1977.
Box 23 Folder 213-214
Private Agency Survey, 1977.
Box 23 Folder 215
Private Sector, 1974-1978.
Box 23 Folder 216-219
Probation Department, 1964-1976.
Box 24 Folder 220-221
Probation/Parole, 1973-1974.
Box 24 Folder 222
Probationer's Education, 1974.
Box 24 Folder 223
Psychiatric, 1975-1976.
Box 24 Folder 224
Quotations, undated.
Box 24 Folder 225
Rape, 1975.
Box 24 Folder 226
Recorder's Court, 1978.
Box 24 Folder 227
Rehabilitation Programs, 1974-1975.
Box 24 Folder 228
Reserve People, 1975.
Box 24 Folder 229
Resources, 1974-1977.
Box 24 Folder 230-231
Retainer, 1975-1976.
Box 25 Folder 232
Salaries and Fringe Benefits, 1974.
Box 25 Folder 233
Screening and Diversion Study, 1970-1977.
Box 25 Folder 234-242
Screening and Diversion Study, 1970-1977.
Box 26 Folder 243-253
Screening and Diversion Study, 1970-1977.
Box 27 Folder 254-260
Senate, undated.
Box 27 Folder 261
Senate Bill S-1, 1976.
Box 28 Folder 262
Sentencing, 1970-1978.
Box 28 Folder 263-264
Sheriff's Office, 1976-1978.
Box 28 Folder 265-269
Standards & Goals, 1975.
Box 28 Folder 270
Stanish, Walter - Memos, 1974-1975.
Box 28 Folder 271
Summons Project, 1974.
Box 28 Folder 272
Sunshine Act, 1975.
Box 28 Folder 273
System Analysis, 1975.
Box 28 Folder 274
Technical Assistance, 1975.
Box 28 Folder 275
Training, 1976.
Box 28 Folder 276
Upcoming, 1975.
Box 28 Folder 277
Victim Compensation, 1974-1975.
Box 28 Folder 278
Volunteers, 1975-1976.
Box 29 Folder 279
Waymart, 1974.
Box 29 Folder 280
Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1977-1978.
Box 29 Folder 281
Women, 1975-1977.
Box 29 Folder 282
Women - Profile Data, 1974.
Box 29 Folder 283
Women- Program Proposals, 1974-1975.
Box 29 Folder 284
Women in Criminal Justice, 1976.
Box 29 Folder 285
Work Release Program, 1972-1974.
Box 29 Folder 286

Scope and Contents

Series 4 contains chronologically arranged clippings, covering aspects of Philadelphia criminal justice as well as the system in other cities. Some clippings deal specifically with the Commission's efforts at reforming the city's system.

Newspaper clippings, 1970-1975.
Box 29 Folder 1-4
Newspaper clippings, 1976-1978.
Box 30 Folder 5-6

Scope and Contents

Series 5 contains files added after the original arrangement of the collection. Most overlap with the subject files (Series 3) and are arranged in a similar alphabetical order.

Agency Information, undated.
Box 31 Folder 1
Agency Lists, 1974.
Box 31 Folder 2
American Bar Association, undated.
Box 31 Folder 3
American Correctional Association, 1975.
Box 31 Folder 4
American Institute of Architects, 1974.
Box 31 Folder 5
Bar Association Criminal Justice Section, 1975.
Box 31 Folder 6
BASICS, 1974-1978.
Box 31 Folder 7-11
Bureau of Corrections, undated.
Box 31 Folder 12
Calendaring and Case flow, 1976.
Box 32 Folder 13-14
Charge Code Translation, 1976.
Box 32 Folder 15
Children's Hospital, 1974-1975.
Box 32 Folder 16
Civic Agency Catalog, 1973-1975.
Box 32 Folder 17
Coalition Against Police Abuses, 1974.
Box 32 Folder 18
Commission Projects, 1973-1974.
Box 32 Folder 19
Common Building Task Force, 1975.
Box 32 Folder 20
Consortium-Municipal Court, 1976-1977.
Box 32 Folder 21-22
Conversations and Interviews, 1975-1976.
Box 32 Folder 23
Criminal Justice Reform, 1972-1973.
Box 32 Folder 24-27
District Attorney, 1974-1976.
Box 32 Folder 28
Diversion, 1976-1977.
Box 33 Folder 29-30
Facilities, 1976.
Box 33 Folder 31
Funding Evaluation Report, 1975-1976.
Box 33 Folder 32-35
Greater Philadelphia Movement, 1973.
Box 33 Folder 36
Greater Philadelphia Partnership, 1974-1976.
Box 33 Folder 37
Hartford Institute of Criminal and Social Justice, 1975.
Box 33 Folder 38
Interview and Observation Notes, 1975-1976.
Box 33 Folder 39
Inter-Agency Correspondence, undated.
Box 33 Folder 40
Inter-Agency Lists 42Inter-Agency Minutes, 1974-1975.
Box 33 Folder 41
Inter-Agency Miscellaneous, 1974-1975.
Box 33 Folder 43
Legislative Committees, 1975.
Box 34 Folder 44
Miscellaneous Correspondence, 1975-1976.
Box 34 Folder 45-46
Miscellaneous Information, 1975-1976.
Box 34 Folder 47
Municipal Court, 1975-1977.
Box 34 Folder 48
National Clearinghouse, undated.
Box 34 Folder 49
National Council on Crime and Delinquency, 1974.
Box 34 Folder 50
Philadelphia Bar Association, 1967.
Box 34 Folder 51-52
Philadelphia Commission Employment Paper, 1975.
Box 34 Folder 53
Philadelphia Commission Reports, 1974-1976.
Box 34 Folder 54-56
Philadelphia Partnership, Incorporated, 1974.
Box 34 Folder 57
Philcourt and Aid Services, undated.
Box 34 Folder 58
Preliminary Hearings, 1976.
Box 34 Folder 59
Pre-Trial Conditional Release, 1973.
Box 34 Folder 60
Private Sector Workshop, 1976-1978.
Box 34 Folder 61
Proposal Research Project, 1977.
Box 34 Folder 62
Rule 1100, 1976.
Box 34 Folder 63
Screening and Diversion, 1973-1977.
Box 34 Folder 64-67
Sentencing and Disposition Codes, 1976.
Box 34 Folder 68
Systems Relations, undated.
Box 34 Folder 69-70
Three-Year Report, 1976-1977.
Box 34 Folder 71
Tie-Line, 1969-1975.
Box 34 Folder 72
Victim Counseling Service, 1975.
Box 34 Folder 73
Victim Witness Assistance, undated.
Box 34 Folder 74
Visiting, 1970-1974.
Box 34 Folder 75
Workshop, 1977.
Box 34 Folder 76

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