In our November walkthrough of the ACJ, we found notable improvements in out-of-cell time and staffing, but issues including hunger and staff professionalism persist. While this tour is encouraging, there is more work to be done to improve conditions at the facility.
“We are cautiously optimistic,” said Noah Barth, Prison Monitoring Director.
Areas of progress
Prison Society staff and volunteers toured three housing units, the juvenile unit, and the kitchen and conducted structured interviews with 72 incarcerated men during the November 17 walkthrough.
One of the most significant areas of improvement our walkthrough showed was time spent out of cells. The majority of people we asked — nearly 80 percent — said they were let out of their cell every day. This is a notable jump from our last walkthrough in May 2025, when only a quarter of people surveyed reported being let out of their cells every day. Consistent with our last tour of the ACJ, people in every unit we visited reported being locked in their cells on weekends — particularly during football games and holidays when less staff come in — but noted that this is happening less frequently and depends on the corrections officer on duty.
Another notable area of progress is the facility's new practice of having staff with authority to resolve issues on each housing unit. This model, which Warden Trevor Wingard adopted from his time working with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, has been rolled out across the jail. Several residents expressed appreciation for having an accessible decision-maker on the housing unit, noting that they help resolve problems and establish a greater sense of fairness.
“Bad apples”
While reports of staff professionalism slightly improved since our last tour, with a 10 percent drop in the share of interviewees reporting that staff were unprofessional and/or disrespectful, more than 60 percent of residents still reported poor staff behavior. Many interviewees said there were good staff members, but noted that there are some “bad apples.”
Though the numbers show some progress, the Prison Society remains concerned about this issue, as professional and respectful treatment of incarcerated people by prison staff is imperative to creating a safe and productive environment in all correctional facilities.
“I’m never not hungry.”
Food portions continue to be a top concern. The percentage of interviewees reporting that ACJ does not provide enough food has remained around 80 percent since our last walkthrough. One resident said that the portions they receive “are for kids, not grown men.”
“I’m never not hungry, and it will stay that way until I get out of here or my family can give me money for commissary,” said another resident.
Though we did not ask about food quality specifically, many residents reported concerns including food being rotten or cold, evidence of rodents in the kitchen, and receiving food that does not align with approved diets. We did not observe any rodents when we toured the kitchen.
Delays in getting healthcare continues to be an issue at the ACJ, with more than half of the people we interviewed saying they wait more than a week to see a provider and some reporting a wait time of over a month.
Healthcare access showed notable improvement between our November 2024 and May 2025 walkthroughs, with the share of interviewees reporting waits of more than a week for medical care dropping from nearly 90 percent to just over half. In this most recent walkthrough revealed reports of delayed care, persisted along with reports of untreated suspected MRSA, failure to receive test results, lack of counseling for mental health diagnoses, inadequate pain management for broken bones, and limited access to dental and vision services, among other issues.
Electronic Tablets: improvements and ongoing concerns
Electronic tablets are becoming more common in jails and prisons across the country. Standard prison tablets operate on a secure network and can be used for video and phone calls and messaging with family and friends, as well as education and entertainment. The Prison Society is continuing to follow tablet rollout across the state.
At the ACJ, there are enough tablets for everyone in the general population to have one, if none are out of service. Tablets are the primary way to access the law library, mail, and file grievances and requests at ACJ, making access to these devices important. Residents in general population reported usage issues, including short battery life due to limited access to charging stations, spotty internet connections, and delayed repairs when tablets are broken. Warden Wingard said the county is currently in the process of contracting with a new tablet provider that they believe will address battery life and Wi-Fi access issues.
Jail policy restricts access to tablets for people in the Restricted Housing Unit (RHU). As a result, 80 percent of the people we interviewed in the RHU reported limited or no tablet access.
You can read the complete walkthrough findings here.