Philadelphia Jails
Philadelphia’s jails are a human rights crisis. More than 30,000 people cycle in and out of the jails each year, and on any given day, there are more than 4,200 people locked up. Those who are incarcerated — 74% of whom are Black and 90% of whom have not been convicted of a crime — are being tortured, with no access to basic human rights, including medical care, showers, phone calls, meals, and visits from loved ones.
In the past decade, more than 135 people have died in Philly’s jails, and more than 50 of those deaths have been since 2020 alone — some of the highest rates in the nation.
ALC’s litigation, organizing, and communications arms all contribute to the multi-dimensional effort to dismantle the Philly jail system and protect people who encounter it.