St. Louis CofCC Blog

Philadelphia Inquirer:

Crowded city jails may get worse
Crime crackdown expected to add to a vexing problem.

As a crackdown on crime continues in Philadelphia, city officials are concerned it will only exacerbate a crisis in city prisons.

Driven, in part, by a growing backlog of criminal cases, the daily jail count on April 19 reached 9,334 - a record in the city prison system’s 320 years. And there’s fear that a surge in arrests will put the city on a fast track to surpassing 10,000.

The influx of inmates is expensive, draining tax dollars away from recreation programs, pothole repairs, and other general city services.

It is also dangerous, increasing tensions among prisoners and between inmates and the correctional staff.

Expanded and redesigned for 6,433 inmates, Philadelphia’s six major jails are bursting at the seams. A lawsuit filed last month contends that more than 2,000 inmates are confined three to a cell, with many sleeping in plastic shells on floors of cells built for only two.

To cope, the city has agreed to transfer 200 prisoners to a renovated private jail in North Philadelphia as of July 15.

I noticed in this article that the Inquirer provided a table, showing that Philadelphia has the highest incarceration rate per capita for large American cities. I noticed that Phoenix was in second place, and while Sheriff Joe Arpaio is the sheriff of Maricopa County, which contains Phoenix, and not just the city, that Philly might do well to find its own Joe Arpaio, some vacant land in the city (which I’m sure there is), and some tents.

Remember, this is a black/liberal city that is generally lenient toward black suspects and defendants. The only way you end up in the city can and stay there is if you’re awaiting trial for a very serious crime, or you committed a serious misdemeanor. Plain words, there are hardly any people cooling their heels at the graybar hotel for minor offenses. There’s just not enough jail space for the major offenders, much less the minor ones.