The Prison Society is continuing to monitor conditions at the Philadelphia Department of Prisons (PDP).
Our August walk-through of one of the PDP buildings, the Philadelphia Industrial Correction Center (PICC), showed notable progress compared to the previous year, including improved access to phone calls, family visits, and showers. This progress comes amid an all-time low incarcerated population and a significant increase in staffing. Despite these improvements, long-standing issues persist, including inadequate food, unsanitary housing units, and staff assaults.
In response to these findings, PDP Commissioner Michael Resnick said he appreciated the acknowledgement of progress and noted that the department continues to work on improving operations and staffing at PICC.
Increased investment paying off
Prison Society staff and volunteers toured a law library, three general population housing units, and one unit that includes women in restricted housing (RHU)—segregated housing for people charged with committing infractions while in custody—and conducted structured interviews with 57 incarcerated people during the August 12th walkthrough.
Interviews point to significant progress in several areas. One notable increase is commissary functioning, with 83 percent of interviewees reporting that they had received all of the items they ordered from the commissary in a timely manner—a 44 percent jump from the last walk-through in May 2024. Other improvements include phone calls, with a majority of incarcerated people reporting the ability to make phone calls daily, as well as consistent shower access and in-person family visits.
Much of this progress can be attributed to a historic reduction in PDP’s population of incarcerated people, which has remained around 3,500 daily since May of this year—a 33-year low—combined with a boost in staffing with the help of city dollars. Last year, a federal judge ordered the city to pay $25 million to address conditions at the prisons after PDP was found in contempt for violating a 2022 settlement in a class-action lawsuit. Commissioner Resnick wrote that the vacancy rate has now been cut nearly in half since April 2024, with about a quarter of positions unfilled as of October.
Conditions remain inadequate
While the improvements are promising, aspects of living conditions and services at PICC remain concerning.
Interviewees reported inadequate access to several basic necessities and safety. Seventy percent of incarcerated people reported witnessing assault by staff. Nearly 90 percent of incarcerated people interviewed reported that they were not provided with enough food, and a majority reported getting clean clothes and sheets less than once a week. Additionally, nearly 70 percent of interviewees reported that they lacked access to basic hygiene products, such as toilet paper, soap, and menstrual products.
Incarcerated people also reported a lack of movement and meaningful activity. Nearly 60 percent said, in the past week, they didn’t get out of their cell every day. Close to 70 percent said that when they did get out of their cell, it was for less than five hours per day, the daily minimum required by the terms of the class action lawsuit.
Additionally, almost 80 percent of incarcerated people we interviewed reported seeing rodents or roaches in their unit more than once.
Prison Monitoring Director Noah Barth reflected a mix of optimism and caution. “While a majority of people we interviewed continued to report going whole days locked in a cell, we also observed progress,” said Barth. “For the first time since we began these walk-throughs four years ago, we saw an entire housing pod on recreation at the same time. This means that PDP had enough staff assigned there, and it means a significant increase in total out-of-cell time for those individuals. We look forward to seeing what further progress staffing can enable.”
Commissioner says key to further progress is “twofold”
In response to the issues outlined in the August walk-through, Commissioner Resnick expressed appreciation for the concerns raised and said he looks forward to an “ongoing dialogue” with the Prison Society addressing issues to continue improving conditions at PICC and throughout PDP facilities. The key to progress is “twofold,” said Commissioner Resnick, with both reduced population and increased staffing.
Commissioner Resnick said out-of-cell time will improve as staffing continues to increase. He also noted that further improvements are planned for PDP’s next food service contract, and the facility is also seeking an independent auditor to review and recommend enhancements to its food services, while continuing to follow the city’s Get Healthy Philly guidelines and the 2020-2025 USDA Dietary Guidelines for Americans.
Regarding staff assault reports, the commissioner said that PDP acts “swiftly” on staff assault allegations and takes disciplinary or criminal action when misconduct is confirmed.
You can read the complete walk-through findings and the commissioner’s response here.
