George W. Hill After GEO
In 2017, the Delco Coalition for Prison Reform (Delco CPR) organized to deprivatize George W. Hill Correctional Facility, Pennsylvania’s only privately-run prison. This campaign has been built on the understanding that removing the financial incentive for incarceration is the first step towards change. As more information has come to light in these past three years, it is undeniable that GEO Group, which operates the prison, has failed on every level possible to provide basic care for the prisoners and staff alike, nor have they properly maintained the facility.
April 6th, 2022, marked the official termination of Delaware County’s contract with GEO Group. Now that the prison has been handed back into the care of the county (for the first time since 1998), the primary objectives of DelcoCPR now point towards a transition that serves the best interests of incarcerated individuals at George W. Hill.
As we look towards this new phase with these priorities, Delco CPR has released a 45-point proposal focusing on 10 major areas:
Health and Mental Healthcare
Hygiene and Sanitation
Food
Exercise and Access to Outdoor Spaces
Handling of Inmate Grievances
Drug and Alcohol Treatment
Re-Entry Programs
Improving Connections with Families
Access to Library Resources
Religious Services
These demands are based on years of research, comparisons with other local county facilities, and the reports of formerly incarcerated individuals and their families about their experiences with George W. Hill.
Delco CPR recognizes that these reforms are a stop gap measure in the work to end mass incarceration. However, we believe they are necessary to ensure the health, safety and dignity of all residents and staff as well as our community at large. We urge our Delco neighbors who believe in a better future for our county to amplify these demands as we move towards public management.
Heather Isbell Schumacher
on behalf of the Delco Coalition for Prison Reform
updated 8/30/2022