May 11, 2020
District Attorney Krasner Announces Resignation of Chief of Staff Arun Prabhakaran
PHILADELPHIA (May 11, 2020) — District Attorney Larry Krasner on Monday announced the resignation, effective June 12, 2020, of Chief of Staff Arun Prabhakaran.
Prabhakaran entered the District Attorney’s Office (DAO) to serve as Chief of Staff to Krasner in January 2018, following an historic election in 2017 that saw record-high turnout for Philadelphia District Attorney. During the first 29 months of the Krasner Administration, the DAO has recruited two of the most diverse classes of prosecutors in the office’s history; reduced or ended prosecution of non-violent offenses often tied to poverty, substance use disorder, or sex work; and stopped seeking cash bail for dozens of non-violent offenses.
Prabhakaran will be returning to the Urban Affairs Coalition, where he previously served as Senior Vice President and Chief External Affairs Officer, to take on a new role as Executive Vice President, overseeing all of the Coalition’s operations.
“As chief of staff, Arun Prabhakaran helped oversee a transformation of this office that was necessary to effect lasting change in the criminal legal system in Philadelphia. I am grateful for his years of service to this office, and am looking forward to continuing to work with him as he transitions back to his original passion in community work at the Urban Affairs Coalition,” District Attorney Krasner said.
“It has been a privilege and a highlight of my career to serve as Chief of Staff to District Attorney Krasner, one of the most transformative progressive prosecutors in the country,” Prabhakaran said. “A movement of Philadelphians elected Larry based on his vision for fixing our broken criminal legal system. I am proud to have led the team of staff tasked with executing that vision, by transforming this office and repairing relations with communities that were most harmed by mass incarceration under prior administrations.”
Prior to joining the DAO and the Urban Affairs Coalition, Prabhakaran worked at social service organizations including Solutions for Progress and Youth Health Empowerment Project, and as a grassroots organizer dedicated to advancing human rights and ending poverty. In addition to his work at the DAO, he serves in a variety of leadership capacities in the community, including: Maternity Care Coalition, Vice President of the Board of Directors; Urban Affairs Coalition, Board Member; and Philadelphia Works, Research and Policy Committee.
An executive search for a new Chief of Staff to District Attorney Krasner is currently under way. Qualified national, local, and internal candidates are encouraged to apply immediately.
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The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is the largest prosecutor’s office in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the nation. It serves the more than 1.5 million citizens of the City and County of Philadelphia, employing 600 lawyers, detectives and support staff. The District Attorney’s Office is responsible for prosecution of approximately 40,000 criminal cases annually.
