Last Tuesday, Philadelphia voters approved a proposal to create an Office of Prison Oversight and Philadelphia Prison Community Oversight Board. This decisive mandate by voters and taxpayers shows a clear desire for a real, tangible, and publicly accountable oversight body to oversee operations of Philadelphia’s troubled prisons. The measure is the result of two years of collaboration across multiple city administrations.
“The problems going on in our prisons are well known to justice-impacted Philadelphians, but not the general public. Unfortunately, the public only learns about them after inmates’ human rights have been violated, correctional officers get injured, and federal courts slap the city with millions in fines because of our negligence,” Councilmember Isaiah Thomas said. “Now the public will be able to have a clear view into our city-run prisons. This result is a clear sign from Philadelphia voters that they demand independent oversight of our prison’s system.”
Ballot Question #3 was approved by a majority vote in each of the city’s 66 wards. In total, it received a favorable vote by over 76 percent of the electorate, as of May 22nd.
The duties of the Office of Prison Oversight, housed within the Office of Public Safety, would include, among other responsibilities, 1) increasing transparency and accountability within the City’s correctional institutions, 2) providing recommendations upon review of Philadelphia Department of Prisons (PDP) policies and practices, 3) accessing and monitoring PDP facilities, databases and documents, and meeting with staff and incarcerated people, and 4) developing community education programs.
The Philadelphia Prison Community Oversight Board would be tasked with holding monthly public meetings and making further recommendations to the Office and Philadelphia Department of Prisons on matters of policy and practice.
WATCH a panel discussion hosted by the Committee of Seventy featuring Philadelphia City Councilmember Isaiah Thomas, Morgan Robinson – President of the League of Women Voters of Philadelphia, Noah Barth – Prison Monitoring Director for the Pennsylvania Prison Society, and moderated by Dr. Kerry Sautner, President and CEO of Eastern State Penitentiary.
Note: Committee of Seventy has endorsed this ballot measure.
