Mr. Chris Paget

Mr. Paget is a polite, articulate, and friendly person. His experience with the George W. Hill Correctional Facility occurred for six months in 2018 as a result of a probation violation. Chris’s probation was being supervised in Delaware County and it was ultimately violated for “Failure to Report Contact With Police,” after Chris was involved in a minor traffic accident in Philadelphia. No one was injured in this fender-bender, and no damage was incurred on either of the vehicles involved. Mr. Paget made it clear that his Probation Agent and at least one Supervisor at the Media, PA office attempted to pressure him into signing documents that indicated he had turned in a “dirty urine," but he refused to sign off on that. Per Chris, he was eventually vindicated about the results of the urinalysis test, but it took him six months to straighten everything out and finally get released from GWHCF. 

Mr. Paget confirmed many things that we have heard from other storytellers, including: the $100.00 “Processing Fee” charged to each inmate when they arrive at Intake at the jail. He also confirmed that he spent 4 days in Intake with several other men and there was no bathroom in the cell, nor were guards willing to take inmates to the restroom. He said the guards mocked inmates requesting to use the bathroom, laughed at them and some even held up their middle fingers at them. Chris recounted that inmates were urinating in empty milk cartons, including an inmate who was suffering from jaundice. Upon arrival at the facility, Chris was taking prescription Celebrex and Synthroid. Medical personnel from the jail refused to give him Celebrex, instead prescribing Cymbalta and according to Chris they only gave him Synthroid half the time he was supposed to receive it. 

Chris’s overall impression of the George W. Hill Correctional Facility is negative. In terms of general services and conditions, he rates the place poorly. He advised us that the food was awful and he ate mostly Commissary items that he purchased. His commissary balance was incorrect on several occasions and attributed it to a general practice on the part of the jail to constantly seek more dollars. He said that the facility is generally filthy, and he is surprised that more people there are not becoming ill from communicable diseases due to the poor hygiene conditions there. Mr. Paget said that he did not participate in any therapeutic or educational programs while at GWHCF but did attempt to use the institution’s “Law Library” regularly to research and fight his case. His access to needed legal research books and materials was constantly restricted by members of the jail administration. He did say that he attended several religious services, while there. According to Chris, there was no “recreational library” available, but he was frequently given books to read by “weekenders” - inmates charged and convicted of DUI related offenses who are serving “weekend only” sentences. Chris went outside when permitted and did a lot of self-directed exercising (sit-ups, push-ups, pull-ups, etc.), but generally had little to do but lay around for the duration of his six-month stay there. 

Mr. Paget told us that he was involved in at least two fights with other inmates while at GWHCF (once in General Population and once in the “Hole”). Chris noted that he spent the last 30 days of his incarceration in the “Hole” as the result of his fight while in General Population. He recounts that he witnessed other incidents of inmate-on-inmate violence and excessive use of force by Corrections Officers, including having a “cellie” who had his front teeth kicked out by guards during a beating. Chris characterizes the guards at GWHCF as “unskilled, unrestrained, unprofessional, and inhumane,” and further states that they are “generally unresponsive” to inmate needs and requests. He said that guards routinely took property from some inmates during cell searches and gave it to other inmates. Chris also confirmed that much of the contraband that comes into the facility comes in through guards, staff, and “weekender” inmates. Additionally, he confirmed that there is inappropriate sexual contact taking place between guards and inmates and he stated that he was aware of one female inmate there who became pregnant while in County custody. 

Mr. Paget was visited by his family members on several occasions and did not report any overt discourtesies by staff, but he did report that his sister was refused access to the facility on one visit for “wearing inappropriate clothing.” According to Mr. Paget, his stay at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility and the fighting of his probation revocation cost him six months of his time and approximately $30,000.00 in legal and other fees to overcome. His primary take-away about GWHCF is: “I’m not going back there - everyone there (inmates) says that it is the worst place ever. It’s more like a torture facility than a Correctional facility - they do what they want there!” 

Note: pseudonyms have been used to protect the privacy of the individuals who shared their story with us.