PA Gov. Shapiro supporting violence prevention investments in Philadelphia

Continuing his bid to support initiatives he included in his 2025-26 budget proposal, Gov. Josh Shapiro visited Philadelphia on Friday where he spoke on the successes of one of the city’s violence prevention efforts.

Beyond the Bars, a music and leadership nonprofit, has received more than $530,000 through the state’s Violence Intervention and Prevention Program, for which Shapiro hopes to increase funding by $10 million this year for a total of $55 million.

Shapiro said that legislators were working “to make sure that when those dollars are divvied up that we’ve got our kids in mind, whether it’s funding the work in their classrooms or funding the work in a place like this after school, or they come during the summer.”

The program serves students in 55 locations throughout the city, helping them to grow as musicians and develop writing and recording skills. Along with more than 75 partners throughout the community, Beyond the Bars works to support Philadelphia’s kids “interrupting cycles of violence and divestment.”

“When you listen to and build with young people – and when you invest in systems not of harm, but of compassion and community – we can do something that seems impossible and live in a more peaceful and just world that our young people deserve,” said Matt Kerr, the program’s executive director.

Isaiah Robinson, a former student of Beyond the Bars, spoke about his journey through the program to ultimately become an instructor. He spoke about finding a “safe space and loving environment” that became his “second family.”

It is initiatives like these which focus on mental health, addressing basic needs like housing and food insecurity, and mentoring which have difficult to define impacts when under the microscope of state budget negotiations. The program has served more than 1,100 students over the past decade, but as Shapiro pointed out, we can’t know how many lives were saved from gun violence or incarceration through diversion and prevention.

Rep. Amen Brown, D-Philadelphia, in whose district the group met, spoke about his experience growing up in Philadelphia and participating in programs geared toward the city’s youth.

“I came up through The Beacon programs some 20 years ago, and I worked there with young people,” said Brown. "We created safe spaces, and we protected children. And I see that here today at Beyond the Bars, and I'm thankful, I'm grateful that you guys exist."

The state isn’t the exclusive funder of programs like this. Even with considerable grants like the more than half million received from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, which is headed by Lt. Gov. Austin Davis, significant local and philanthropic contributions go into creating these services.

“The city is not just writing checks – we are helping to build the internal infrastructure of our local leaders” said Evangelina Manos-Conroy, Deputy Director of Public Safety, Office of the Mayor. “Helping organizations like Beyond the Bars grow and thrive is the ultimate goal, because they are the boots on the ground – they're the ones doing the work. They are the ones who need to lead the way, because we know government cannot do it alone.”