July 6, 2022, Chief Defender Keisha Hudson, head of the Defender Association of Philadelphia (DAP), stepped to the podium to announce the pay raise that will make the salaries of Philadelphia Public Defenders comparable with those of city prosecutors. The Association has long engaged in a public battle to close the gap between the pay of prosecutors office, city agencies and Defender staff. The DAP launched a social media campaign to highlight the disparities. Most of the staff at DAP are people of color and haven’t seen a pay raise in 3 to 4 years–some haven’t seen an increase in 5 years.
Visibly pleased with the budget increase, Hudson went on to thank Philadelphia City Council members and others for their steadfast support. DAP staff and others applauded the announcement.
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