Pennsylvania

FAMM urges legislature to depopulate Pennsylvania’s prisons

For Media Inquiries:
Tripp Laino, 202-999-4273
tlaino@famm.org

FAMM urges legislature to depopulate Pennsylvania’s prisons

HARRISBURG – FAMM Pennsylvania State Director Celeste Trusty released the following statement after the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on the prison reprieve process.

“Pennsylvania has the highest incarceration rate in the northeast, and with it, an obligation to reduce our prison population in the interest of public safety and public health,” Trusty said. “Just 151 people have been granted reprieve since the executive order in April — woefully inadequate to make an immediate or long-term impact. We appreciate that the Department of Corrections is doing what it can, but the state legislature has the means to expedite the process of keeping people safe by depopulating prisons, and we want them to stop dragging their feet.”

The Centers for Disease Control has issued interim guidance on managing COVID-19 in correctional facilities, and reducing the prison population will help meet these guidelines.

For nearly three decades, FAMM has united the voices of affected families, the formerly incarcerated, and a range of stakeholders and advocates to fight for a more fair and effective justice system. FAMM’s focus on ending a one-size-fits-all punishment structure has led to reforms to sentencing and prison policies in six states and is paving the way to programs that support rehabilitation for the 94% of all prisoners who will return to our neighborhoods one day.

###

FAMM is a national nonpartisan advocacy organization that promotes fair and effective criminal justice policies that safeguard taxpayer dollars and keep our communities safe. Founded in 1991, FAMM is helping transform America’s criminal justice system by uniting the voices of impacted families and individuals and elevating the issues all across the country.