Update

Promoting transparency and accountability in the correctional system is more important than ever as prisons across the commonwealth face staffing shortages, an influx of people with mental health needs, and a surge in deaths.

A new bill passed by the Pennsylvania House that would strengthen county jail oversight is one of several efforts underway to expand prison oversight in the commonwealth. It would allow community members who bring a diverse set of skills, perspectives, and life experiences to participate on county jail oversight boards, enhancing the independence and expertise of these important bodies.

"We’re trying to expand transparency and representation,” the bill’s sponsor, Rep. Napoleon Nelson (D-Montgomery), tells the Prison Society.

Pennsylvania’s jail oversight boards play a critical role in ensuring that county jails maintain humane and safe conditions for incarcerated people. State law provides for them to be composed of a slate of government and law enforcement officials, including judges, county commissioners, and district attorneys. It currently permits only one county, Allegheny County, to appoint other members from the community, such as formerly incarcerated people, family members of incarcerated people, or advocates.

The new bill, House Bill 1509, would allow all counties to appoint an additional two to four members of the public to the jail oversight board.

Nelson says counties could use their discretion to appoint not only advocates or people affected by the correctional system, but other professionals–such as doctors, educators, and public defenders–who could lend their expertise toward improving conditions in jail and outcomes for incarcerated people. Including more people from local communities from many different walks of life, Nelson says, would help ensure “our correctional facilities and those who are currently incarcerated are still a part of our broader community.”

Nelson is working with colleagues in the State Senate to get the bill through the legislature and on to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.