Philadelphia incarcerates people at a rate more than TWICE the national average, and it has the shameful distinction of incarcerating people at a higher rate than every other big city in the nation. As our nation finally acknowledges the error of mass incarceration, cities across the country are forced to confront how their own policies have contributed to this human rights crisis. In Philadelphia, local policies, including the unconstitutional use of probation detainers, have created a crisis that can and will be solved because of the leadership of those who have been directly impacted by Philadelphia’s jail epidemic.
The #CLOSEthecreek campaign, led by directly impacted individuals, builds on the groundswell of local support for decarceration that has been developed through decades of successful advocacy. The #CLOSEthecreek campaign demands that Philadelphia’s elected officials:
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Close the House of Correction for good within 2 years
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Cut the local prison population in half to no more than 3,000 people
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End electronic monitoring
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Reinvest savings in locally-run, community-based services for returning community members
Campaign Partners
Mothers in Charge, National Workforce Opportunity Network – Community Education Program (NWON – CEP), Philadelphia Student Union (PSU), The Center for Returning Citizens (TCRC), X-Offenders for Community Empowerment, Women’s Center for Carceral Empowerment, Youth Art Self-Empowerment Project (YASP), Healing Communities