Dear Prison Society Supporters:
The Prison Society has released a new monitoring report illuminating concerning conditions in Dauphin County Prison, including delays accessing medical care, intolerably hot or cold temperatures in cells, and insufficient food.
Our findings are based on seven walkthroughs of Dauphin County Prison between April and December of last year, during which Prison Society staff and volunteers interviewed over 300 incarcerated people about jail conditions.
The walkthroughs are part of our ongoing efforts to bring more transparency and accountability to the Central Pennsylvania jail, which is also the focus of a new, chart-topping podcast investigating the alarming number of deaths of people in custody there in recent years. Since 2019, at least 22 people have died while incarcerated in Dauphin County Prison or after becoming ill inside.
Delays accessing medical care
Over half of incarcerated people interviewed reported wait times of two weeks or more for requested medical care. There were also numerous complaints about the quality of care and a lack of mental health care.
These reports are especially concerning given the deaths of multiple incarcerated people in recent years who suffered from mental illness. Lawsuits brought by the families of Jamal Crummel, Ishmael Thompson, and Ty’rique Riley alleged that Dauphin County Prison and its medical contractor, PrimeCare Medical, Inc., failed to provide adequate medical care prior to their deaths.
Intolerable cell temperatures
The vast majority of incarcerated people reported that their cells are too hot in the summer and too cold in the winter. During the colder months, we frequently saw incarcerated people wrapped in blankets to stay warm.
This is partly owing to the design of the jail’s heating and cooling system. In the prison’s general population housing units, there are HVAC vents in the corridors but not in cells, which are sealed behind heavy metal doors. There have also been reports of power outages that shut off the heat for five hours in January 2024 and the air conditioning for 24 hours in August.
Hypothermia was implicated in the January 2022 death of Jamal Crummel, who was found in a cell where the air temperature was in the low 60s.
Concerns about food quantity and safety
Three quarters of incarcerated people we spoke with reported not getting enough to eat. They shared numerous complaints about portion sizes and the poor condition of the food. Also, we observed unhygienic and potentially unsafe conditions in the prison kitchen, including peeling paint, an open sewage line, piles of food trays caked in old food, and a foul odor.
The warden’s response
In a written response to the monitoring report, Dauphin County Prison Warden Geoffrey Briggs said that the jail “has faced significant challenges due to staffing shortages, compounded by a growing population of incarcerated individuals with complex physical and behavioral health needs.
“These issues have stretched our resources thin,” he said.
Briggs called the feedback about medical care “deeply concerning.” He noted that the county had undertaken an audit of the services provided by PrimeCare, and was currently reviewing proposals for a new prison medical contract from several competing companies.
Regarding the extreme temperatures in the prison, the warden offered to set alarms that would go off when it got too hot or cold.
Briggs also said the jail was reviewing a proposal from its food contractor, Aramark, to increase protein and reduce carbohydrates on menus and offer more hot breakfasts. “Additionally, there is funding set aside to renovate the kitchen which will enhance the facility’s ability to deliver quality meals in an efficient manner moving forward,” he said.
“We are grateful for the Pennsylvania Prison Society’s partnership and their thorough monitoring, which helps us identify areas for improvement,” Briggs said.
“Together, we will continue to address the complex challenges we face, ensuring a safer and more humane environment for our staff and the individuals in our care.”
The Prison Society’s complete findings from the walkthroughs and the warden’s response are available here.