Delco Spending $56 Million On Prison — The warden of George Hill Correctional Facility told Delaware County, Pa., Council, last night, May 1, that the prison’s budget was $56 million but it was just a peachy neat place now with teachers and nurses and such.
Delco is spending $13 million more on incarceration than in 2019. Warden Laura Williams, however, said wages are up for workers and everything is going great and they are getting rewards and honors and stuff.
Of course, not every one agrees about things going great. See here and here and here.
In fact, during public comments an African immigrant told council that he was unjustly fired as a corrections officer.
Also, Kimberly Brown of Colwyn said the raises disproportionately went to certain employees.
Also, Boothwyn tech guru Ed Trice described his “all-expense paid, 10-day vacation” at Hill, two years ago, when it was somehow thought he was involved in Flash Crash 2010. It wasn’t peachy neat.
Trice was there for other things and had not planned to speak . Ms. Williams’ presentation, though, inspired him.
There was a bald, blinding and necessary revelation in Ms. Williams’ too-long corporate spiel. It concerned the inmates at Hill with serious mental illness.
Pennsylvania has left just two long-term state mental hospitals. These are Norristown and Torrance near Pittsburgh.
Inmates with mental illness can’t move through the system until treated and these are the only places where this can be done.
The waits are long.
Councilwoman Christine Reuther said the state is spending less for mental health than it did in 2007.
In 1960, when homelessness and mass shootings were not major issues, there were three times as many incarcerated in mental hospitals than prisons in America. By Y2K, it was six times as many in prisons. The ratio has certainly gotten worse.
Delco Spending $56 Million On Prison