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Quick Facts

  1. Approximately 2.3 million people are incarcerated in the United States.
  2. Roughly 85,000 people
    are incarcerated in Pennsylvania's state and county correctional facilities.
  3. Ninety percent of those in prison in Pennsylvania will be released back into the community at some point.
  4. Pennsylvania has the fourth-largest death row population in the U.S.
  5. 70 percent of the people on death row in Pennsylvania are people of color.
Support The Prison Society

To become a member of the Prison Society:

$40 Regular Membership

$5/Prisoner

$10/Prisoner Family/Student

$100 Friend of the Society

$200 Patron

$250 Sponsor

$500 Founder

$1,000 1787 Society
$

or

Give a monthly donation
$ a month
for months.




Check out our new video!

Learn more about who we help and why we help them. Click here to see the video.

 
Founded in 1787, the Pennsylvania Prison Society is a social justice organization advocating on behalf of prisoners, their families, and formerly incarcerated individuals. Headquartered in Philadelphia, the Prison Society offers direct services and official prison visitation through a network of statewide chapters.

For more information about the Pennsylvania Prison Society, go to ABOUT on this website.

What's New at the Prison Society?

Below is a listing of what we have been recently working on at the Pennsylvania Prison Society. For more information, go to our What's New page.

  • Our recent Public Panel Discussion: The Nexus Between Public Health and Criminal Justice, University of the Sciences, Philadelphia.

  • Report on Pennsylvania's Children of Incarcerated Parents: The Effects of Parental Incarceration on Children.

  • Support Group for Women with an Incarcerated Loved One meets second Tuesday of every month, 4-6pm, at the Prison Society. Please note that there will not be a meeting on May 8. The next group meeting will be June 12.

    Family Transportation Services

    The Pennsylvania Prison Society's Family Transportation Services program offers affordable bus service from Philadelphia's 30th Street Station to 25 state correctional institutions throughout Pennsylvania. This service is not available to SCI Chester, SCI Graterford, or Quehanna Boot Camp.

    Ticket purchase by walk-in only. You must stop by the second floor of the Prison Society at 245 North Broad Street (corner of Vine). We sell tickets Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., except during special holidays (see above). We are no longer open on Saturdays and Sundays. We are not available to sell tickets before or after the times indicated. For more information, call 215.564.4775.

    The following buses are sold out:
    SCI Albion (5/11/12)
    SCIs Coal Township, Frackville and Mahanoy (5/12/12)
    SCI Forest (5/14/12)
    SCI Fayette (5/18/12)
    SCIs Huntingdon and Smithfield (5/21/12)

    For the 2011-2012 schedule, click here.


    Family Virtual Visitation

    We regret to announce that after ten years of service to families with loved ones behind bars, the Family Virtual Visitation Service stopped operating at the Prison Society on November 30, 2011, due to a lack of funding.

    We want to extend our best wishes to all of the family members who visited our offices over the years and maintained connections with their loved ones. Thank you for using our services.

    Support for Kids with Incarcerated Parents

    About 2.5 million children in the United States have a parent in jail or prison, and some have even witnessed their parent's arrest. Confusion, hurt, loneliness, anger, isolation, and shame are just a few of the typical feelings these children experience.

    The Pennsylvania Prison Society's SKIP program provides a "safe space" for children to discuss their feelings and a venue to better understand and deal with their parent's incarceration. For more information, call 215.564.4775, ext. 104 or click here.

    A Petition to get "Smart on Crime"

    Pennsylvania is imprisoning more people than ever, but does anyone truly feel safer in their communities? The "Tough on Crime" mentality is not working and is becoming fiscally unsustainable. We recommend a "Smart on Crime" approach, using proven programs and treatment that are effective in reducing recidivism.

    Let's build strong communities, not prisons! Join the Pennsylvania Prison Society in its efforts to promote a SMART on CRIME approach to criminal justice issues.

    Yes! I want to sign! Click here to sign the petition