Mandatory overtime, insufficient staffing and dangerous conditions are prompting an exodus of correctional staff from Philadelphia’s prisons, according to a recent article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. More than 500 staff have quit during the pandemic, putting prison staffing rates at 31% below the city’s approved levels.
Among the top complaints are long hours – including mandatory overtime – resulting in 16-20-hour days that prevent staff from being able to pick up their children. As a result, physical and mental stress has taken its toll, causing some employees to take medication for anxiety and others to turn to alcohol. Compounding those issues, a problem with the payroll system caused others to face eviction or repossession of vehicles.
According to the report, at least one person is on record for quitting due to human rights violations. The woman noted that prisoners were denied court-mandated time out of their cells due to lack of available supervision, yet she was asked to fabricate paperwork that said that it was done. She also said that assaults in cells occurred because there was no one to call for backup, and that prisoners were even denied toilet paper because there was none available.
While the prison commission attributes the staffing shortfall to what’s referred to as the “Great Resignation” prompted by the pandemic, others disagree. Philadelphia City Controller Rebecca Rhynhart called the problem “far greater than just a national staffing shortage” and noted that “there’s a real humanitarian disaster going on.”
Local 159, the correctional officers’ union, has raised concerns about broken locks and recurring riots, and the number of deaths in 2021. There were 18 in all, including three homicides, two suicides and four accidental drug-related deaths.
Staffers, concerned for their safety and that of the prisoners, have anonymously contacted the nonprofit Pennsylvania Prison Society, whose executive director said they are “concerned about their own safety, concerned about the safety of incarcerated people, wanting us to know about the depths of the mismanagement. This is how human rights tragedies can happen.”
If you believe a loved one may be suffering human rights violations in a Pennsylvania prison, an attorney experienced in prisoner civil rights in Pennsylvania may be able to help. Please reach out to us to discuss the details of your situation.