pa-prisons

A proposed amendment to Pennsylvania’s constitution would change how the state considers pardons

BY: - October 30, 2023

Pennsylvania's Board of Pardons must vote unanimously in order for a person to be recommended for a pardon. HB 1410 would change it to a simple majority.

COMMENTARY
(Getty Images)

New probation guidelines for people living with substance use disorder a promising start | Opinion

BY: - June 11, 2023

Instead of punishment, the change offers treatment and hope

Pennsylvania Capitol Building. May 24, 2022. Harrisburg, Pa. (Photo by Amanda Berg, for the Capital-Star).

Shapiro’s nominees to public safety roles include the first woman to head the state Department of Corrections

BY: - January 17, 2023

Laurel Harry rose through the Department of Correction from drug and alcohol treatment specialist to prison superintendent.

States, including Pa., have replaced prison mail with scanned copies | Tuesday Morning Coffee

BY: - November 29, 2022

The 'exploitative' trend is a cash cow for private companies, a new report alleges.

Costs of incarceration rise as inflation squeezes inmates, families

BY: - October 16, 2022

Advocates, prisoners, and families are pushing for policy changes to bring commissary prices down. Lawmakers are starting to listen.

COMMENTARY
Prisoners and staff share responsibility for taking care of the fish tank at the ‘Little Scandinavia’ housing unit in a Pennsylvania prison. Commonwealth Media Services

A Pa. prison got a Scandinavian-style makeover. Here’s what happened next | Analysis

BY: - October 8, 2022

The change at SCI-Chester shows shows how the U.S. penal system could become more humane.

Not just a Philly problem. Every community in Pa. has someone in state prison, new data show

BY: - October 4, 2022

'The nation’s 40-year failed experiment with mass incarceration harms each and every one of us,' a policy analyst said.

Prison staff shortages in Pa., elsewhere take toll on guards, incarcerated people | Analysis

BY: - September 27, 2022

In Pa., the corrections officers' union has called on lawmakers to take action to address a looming shortage.

COMMENTARY

Pa.’s state prison staffing crisis shows no sign of ending | Opinion

BY: - September 15, 2022

It's time for lawmakers to come together to address the problem. Lives are on the line.

New report paints mixed picture of recidivism in Pa. prisons | Thursday Morning Coffee

BY: - September 1, 2022

Most people who are released from custody return within three years; officials stress progress. 

COMMENTARY
An image of SCI-Greene, the state prison in Greene County, Pa. (Pa. Corrections Department photo).

Hunger strike to protest solitary confinement at SWPa. prison continues | Friday Morning Coffee

BY: - June 24, 2022

Incarcerated people at the state prison in Greene County have been on strike since June 7.

COMMENTARY

Pa.’s $5 prison co-pay helps no one. Eliminate it | Opinion

BY: - June 14, 2022

Incarcerated people are the only group of individuals with a constitutional right to healthcare