An effort to reduce Philadelphia's jail population due to staffing shortages has led to the release of 100 people waiting to stand trial.
The Defender Association of Philadelphia, which serves as the city's public defender, worked with the First Judicial District of Pennsylvania and the District Attorney's Office to arrange emergency bail hearings for people who are not considered a public safety risk. The hearings began Oct. 1 under Municipal Court Judge Karen Simmons. More are scheduled for the coming weeks.
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The city's prisons department reportedly is down 800 correctional officers – which equates to a vacancy rate of 45%. In August, the city was ordered to set aside $25 million to address staffing shortages after a judge ruled the city broke a 2022 settlement agreement from a lawsuit filed over "horrendous" jail conditions. Last year, the correctional officers' union unanimously voted "no confidence" in the former prisons commissioner, alleging the city's correctional facilities were "historically" unsanitary.
"Reducing the jail population during this crisis is a crucial step in safeguarding both the rights of the incarcerated and the efficiency of our justice system," Chief Defender Keisha Hudson of the Defender Association said. "The success of these hearings shows the power of the collaborative approach we've been pushing for throughout the staffing crisis on State Road."
The city's jails are short-term detention facilities that hold people awaiting trial or sentencing. Prisons house people convicted of crimes and serving longer sentences.
City Council members have proposed a bill to create a new Prison Community Oversight Board and an Office of Prison Oversight. The bill has not been voted on, but if it passes a ballot question about establishing the oversight bodies will appear in next spring's primary election.
According to a city report from September, Philly prisons hold 4,733 people, a decrease of 41.4% compared to a baseline population of Philly prisons from July 2015.