Thursday, July 11, 2024 | 10:00 p.m.
U.S. Courthouse, Courtroom 9-B
601 Market St., Philadelphia, PA

Please help us pack the court on Thursday to demand accountability for the ongoing crisis in Philly jails. We’ll be making our case that the Philadelphia Department of Prisons (PDP) is in contempt of court.

The court entered into a settlement agreement two years ago that required the jail to return to pre-COVID normal operations by increasing its staffing ratio, among other remedies.

Despite this agreement that the City knowingly entered into, PDP remains in noncompliance:

• Individuals are not permitted out of their cells while in segregation, despite a court order mandating everyone receive at least one hour out of their cell.
• Additionally, the jail population has increased, while staffing levels are at record lows. The corrections officer vacancy rate is almost 50%. The staff-to-incarcerated ratio is dangerously low.

The jails are in a crisis state, and a neutral court-appointed-monitor has stated that individuals are experiencing long-term impacts from the harmful & torturous conditions inside. They are bringing that trauma with them when they are released.

These facts are largely undisputed—the monitor has produced regular reports noting these findings.

To address the staffing crisis, the jail must safely decarcerate.

But rather than acknowledging the crisis state of the jails, the City and Mayor are making promises to increase the numbers in the jails by criminalizing public health issues like addiction and homelessness.

We’re calling on anyone who wants real public safety in Philadelphia to be present at oral arguments to show that the community’s eyes are on this case.