What it does
The mission of the pennsylvania prison society is to protect the health, safety, and dignity of incarcerated people in pennsylvania.
Prison monitoring: as the only independent oversight body with statutory access for pennsylvania's prisons and jails, the society works directly inside all 85 state and county correctional facilities to monitor conditions, escalate problems, and surface issues before they become a problem. Through their statewide network of trained volunteers, the society responds to individual requests for assistance from incarcerated people and their families, and works to resolve issues on a case-by-case basis. To provide effective oversight of individual institutions and the correctional system at-large, they track key issues and identify trends through data collection, walkthroughs, and in-depth regular communication with people living and working in prison. "
Education and advocacy:the prison society's advocacy efforts drive important conversations on prison conditions and frame the debate on incarceration. They provide information that is critical for the public, elected representatives, and prison administrators to make informed decisions. The society's unique access gives them the ability to tell the truest story of prison conditions, increasing transparency and accountability. They use the information learned directly from those experiencing incarceration to inform advocacy. Through information gathering, communication, coalition building and outreach, they spark empathy and action that promotes the health, safety, and dignity of people living behind bars."
Family and community support: the society provides a continuum of support to incarcerated people, from their time in prison through their return to the community by managing our helpline and providing mentoring and parenting classes. Their mentoring program is designed to help ease the transition from incarceration back to communities, by fostering positive social engagement and positive relationships, not only to help people stay out of prison but to improve their wellbeing. For decades, the society has been helping incarcerated parents, both to parent from behind bars and to prepare for reunification with their families. The society also piloted a transportation program to facilitate family visits to regional jails and prisons in order to connect families to their incarcerated loved ones.