On May 16th, we sat down with the three Republican candidates for Delaware County Council to discuss local prison reform and deprivatization of George W. Hill Correctional Facility. Candidates Kelly Colvin, Jim Raith, and Mike Morgan were asked to share more in answer to the following questions:
What in your personal or professional background has prepared you to make decisions about the oversight and management of George W. Hill Correctional Facility?
Beyond deprivatization, what is your vision for transforming this facility into a safe, humane, and transparent one?
Incarceration disproportionately affects people of color and the poor. Issues of race and class are central to criminal justice reform and other aspects of County government. Apart from running for this office, how have you contributed to the fight for racial and economic justice?
The candidates were unwilling to commit to deprivatization of George W. Hill or the implementation of a new County Jail Oversight Board per Pennsylvania Statute Title 61. They expressed repeatedly that they were still learning more about the prison and associated issues, and had more fact-finding to do before making any commitments. The candidates have toured George W. Hill Correctional Facility, and Mike Morgan has attended one Prison Board meeting, but all were challenged by audience members about their lack of involvement in prison reform in the past.
View the video below to watch the event and hear the candidate’s answers to these questions.