ALC executive director Saleem Holbrook submitted the following testimony on March 4, 2025, for the Philadelphia City Council hearing on decarcerating Philly jails. His spoken remarks can be viewed here.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak today at this critical hearing on decarcerating Philadelphia’s jails. My name is Saleem Holbrook, Executive Director of the Abolitionist Law Center and I am in support of decarcerating Philly’s jails. This is not only a moral and constitutional imperative—it is a fiscal necessity. With austerity looming, we must be strategic and proactive in reshaping our justice system to be both fairer and more cost-effective.

The Urgent Need for Decarceration

A decarceration approach is not only necessary but overdue. Philadelphia’s jails are appalling and inhumane, endangering both incarcerated individuals and their families. Violence, prolonged solitary confinement, and medical neglect are rampant, violating the rights of those detained and worsening their physical and mental health.

Despite efforts to increase staffing in our jails, 42% of those positions remain unfilled (Court Monitor’s report, Oct 2024). What’s more, even where staffing has increased, conditions have not improved. Rikers Island—one of the deadliest jails in our nation—has a staff-to-incarcerated person ratio of nearly one-to-one, yet it remains a dangerous and abusive environment. Decarceration is necessary to protect the lives and wellbeing of both incarcerated people and workers

This isn’t unprecedented. Decarceration has already been done. Since 2015, the jail population has been reduced by 40% while crime rates have dropped. Although the city saw a serious rise in homicides at the start of the pandemic, this was part of a national gun violence epidemic that has significantly dropped in recent years. The number of homicides last year was the lowest it has been in fifteen years. And during the early days of the pandemic, judges were able to reduce the jail population by 17% in just 30 days. We know that this is possible—and we know it works.

Technical Probation Violations 

One of the key drivers of unnecessary incarceration in Philadelphia is our broken probation and parole system. Of all major U.S. cities, Philadelphia has the fourth highest incarceration rate per capita. By some estimates, 90% of those in our jails are simply awaiting their day in court and may never be convicted of a crime. One of the factors driving this population are probation and parole detainers.

People are being jailed for alleged technical violations—like missing an appointment, failing to pay fines, or traveling outside the city—not for committing new crimes. These overly burdensome conditions disproportionately impact low-income individuals and communities of color. Many people lack the resources to comply with the rigid conditions of supervision, leading them to abscond out of fear of incarceration. This, in turn, fuels further entanglement with the criminal legal system. According to the city’s prison population reports (most recent, Sept. 2024), there are more than 200 people each month who are incarcerated simply for technical violations. This should not happen to anyone, especially given the fact that once inside the jails, people face horrific conditions, are separated from their families, and can lose their jobs and homes. 

Philadelphia must take the lead from jurisdictions that have successfully reformed probation and parole. Camden, for example, does not immediately jail individuals for technical violations; instead, they receive a letter informing them of their court date. Pennsylvania’s Act 44 was intended to reform probation, but it does not address these fundamental issues.

Releasing Older and Medically Vulnerable Individuals

Another urgent and humane step we must take is releasing older and medically vulnerable individuals from our jails. Many of these individuals pose no risk to public safety, yet they remain behind bars, suffering needlessly. The Philadelphia Department of Prisons is simply not equipped to meet their medical needs, leading to an increasing number of emergency room visits, medical transports, and preventable deaths. According to the most recent federal monitor’s report, in June 2024, there were 465 backlogged appointments. In addition, of the total 2,376 eligible patients for medical appointments, only 36% were seen between Jan and June 2024. According to the federal monitor, “Patients regularly report they must wait many months to receive specialty care appointments… Appointments are frequently canceled and rescheduled multiple times before they are seen.” 

It is clear the PDP is completely unequipped and unqualified to care for people with even the most basic medical needs, much less those who are medically vulnerable or those with complex medical conditions. Over the past five years, there have been over 60 deaths in the Philly jails — including two people who died of Type I diabetes, a highly treatable disease. 

We have the data. The only viable solution is reducing the jail population. Releasing those who are medically at risk will not only save lives but also save taxpayer dollars by reducing medical costs and easing the burden on our healthcare system.

The Criminalization of Survivors

Too often, our justice system punishes survivors of violence rather than protecting them. Women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and marginalized communities are frequently criminalized for defending themselves or being coerced into criminalized actions as a result of abuse. Instead of offering them support, we incarcerate them—perpetuating cycles of harm and trauma. In particular, the 250+ individuals who are locked up at PICC, the women’s jail, are primarily Black women and single mothers, where incarceration results in breaking up Philadelphia families. 

Racial Justice Issue

We cannot talk about decarceration without addressing the racial disparities baked into our system. Black Philadelphians make up 38% of the city’s population but account for 71% of the jail population. They also endure the longest average length of incarceration—Black individuals are held for an average of 249 days, 98 days longer than their white counterparts (Sept 2024 Prison Population Report). The disparity only worsens the longer someone remains in jail, with Black individuals making up 78% of those detained for a year or more.

Nine out of ten people in Philly jails are people of color (DAO Racial Justice Report). Studies show Black defendants are 40% more likely to be detained pretrial than non-Black defendants. The vast majority of those in our jails are there because we criminalize poverty, homelessness, mental illness, and substance use. These are public health and economic issues—not problems that should be addressed with incarceration.

Real Solutions to Public Safety

The data is clear: Mass incarceration does not make us safer. In fact, social programs and community investments have been shown to be far more effective in reducing violence and crime. Today, violent crime in Philadelphia is the lowest it has been in more than 20 years. Investments in public safety programs, housing, and economic stability have been directly linked to reductions in gun violence. Meanwhile, increasing incarceration rates has not been shown to improve public safety anywhere.

Locking up 4,000 people daily in Philadelphia’s jails is not justice. It is a waste of lives, resources, and potential. 

Conclusion

Councilmembers, this hearing is about decarceration. It is about the thousands of Philadelphians who remain behind bars due to outdated, unjust, and ineffective policies. We have the opportunity, right now, to enact meaningful reforms that will break the cycle of incarceration, end wasteful and unjust practices that keep our jails full, and move toward a justice system that prioritizes rehabilitation over punishment. We know what works. We have seen models of success in other jurisdictions. Now, we need the political will to act.

Let’s move forward together in creating a system that is just, equitable, and fiscally responsible. Philadelphia deserves nothing less.

Thank you.