Robert A. Cicchinelli from the DelcoCPR leadership team shared our story with Graterfriends, a publication of the Pennsylvania Prison Society. Read below or on page 5 of the publication.
The Campaign to Deprivatize the George W. Hill Correctional Facility in Delaware County, PA
The George W. Hill facility is the Delaware County jail and has the distinction of being the only privately-operated jail in Pennsylvania. Private management began in 1998 when political interests undermined the proposal for a new jail. Wackenhut— which changed its name to GEO Group as it grew worldwide -- built the jail for $40M less than was appropriated as part of an agreement that they would then run the jail. GEO left in 2008 after a spate of inmate deaths led to a number of lawsuits. CEC gained management, but GEO acquired that company in 2017 and once again regained control of GWH. Thus, the prison-for-profit industry established a toehold in Pennsylvania.
The new facility has 1,883 beds and has operated above that capacity several times. GEO temporarily expanded its profits by housing additional people from Philadelphia County (and triple-celling people to make room) until Philadelphia withdrew.
While GEO personnel managed and operated the facility, they answered to a county-appointed superintendent, John Reilly. Under Reilly, the jail was able to operate almost entirely out of public view. The problems inside the jail rarely saw the light of day. Conditions were deplorable, but there were also more extraordinary events, such as chronic failures of heating and air conditioning, lockdowns, assaults, deaths and even a small riot. Members of the Prison Society Board and staff toured the facility at the end of 2012 after a pregnant prisoner was assaulted twice and miscarried twins.
In November of 2017, Kabeera Weissman and Heather Schumacher began organizing around the issues inside the jail. It was during one of the first meetings that I was invited to share the Prison Society’s role in Delaware County, the issues which our Official Visitors have addressed, comparisons with other jails, and a broader view of criminal justice issues. Members of the community shared their own stories and those of their loved ones. There quickly came an influx of concerned citizens from every neighborhood, and the Delaware County Coalition for Prison Reform—DelCo CPR—was born.
The new organization quickly formed teams for the gathering of stories, strategic planning, outreach, and leadership. The current leadership team consists of attorneys, academicians, former jail residents, and community members with direct knowledge and expertise on criminal justice issues. Stories come from former residents, their families, and even current and former staff.
The campaign was simple: return the facility to public management and improve outcomes for those who are housed there. The first obstacle was within government. The jail was overseen by a Board of Prison Inspectors established under a statute dating back to 1866. These five political appointees included some of those who had pushed for private management back in the 1990s. Their meetings were held inside the jail during business hours.
Recording of the meetings was prohibited until some of these same concerned citizens reported the matter to the Delaware County District Attorney as a violation of the Sunshine Act. The meetings were soon live-streamed. At the same time, Delco CPR began the push for a new County Jail Oversight Board.
Delco CPR also publicly endorsed candidates who backed returning the jail to county control. It held rallies on the steps of the Courthouse. In 2018, two Democrats were elected to the five-member council – first ever in the history of Delaware County. Having realized the success of their message, DelCo CPR organized a public hearing. More than 100 citizens packed the room, and the news media was there to record the line of empty chairs that had been reserved for the County Council and prison Board.
By 2019, the campaign for deprivatization had become a major issue, and newly elected officials supported the efforts of the Delco CPR. The results were quick and rewarding. The Board of Inspectors was abolished and replaced with a new Oversight Board comprised of elected officials and three citizens from the community. One of those is Jonathan Abdur-Raheem King, who also served on the Board of the Prison Society several years ago.
The new County Council publicly committed to deprivatization, formed a transition team, and hired a consultant to guide them through the process. They have publicly stated their intent to serve notice by April 1 of this year; the jail will be publicly managed before this year ends.
DelCo CPR has committed to more than 40 substantial changes. These include efforts to create more movement within the facility through programming and recreation, better and quicker access to health care, more comprehensive mental health care, improved hygiene and sanitation, repairs and upgrades to critical infrastructure, more nutritious meals, medically-assisted detox and treatment, more opportunities for visiting, free phone calls, and an emphasis on re-entry. In short, we hope that citizens will leave George W. Hill better than they went in.