Philly Prisons on Verge of Attica Revolt?
Philadelphia’s prison system has reached dangerous levels of overcrowding, and the city solicitor says the city needs another prison to keep up with its plethora of convicted criminals. According to the Inquirer, the prison population hit 9,123 on August 6th, which is more than double the average of 4,000 inmates in 1980.
The reason for the tight squeeze isn’t the city’s escalating murder rate (most of those criminals get away, apparently), but tougher sentencing and more drug busts, according to the Inquirer. Right now, the prison is cramming three people into two-person cells, making for some feisty, uncomfortable inmates; coupled with a lack of adequate security, the situation has some prison representatives bracing for increased assaults and the potential for a riot.
City Solicitor Romulo Diaz Jr. said a short-term solution is in place — hiring more guards — but there are no plans for a new prison at this point.
All-time high for Phila. inmates [Inquirer]
Photo: Philadelphia Tribune
