Plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against the Philadelphia Department of Prisons (PDP) filed a motion for contempt for the jails’ failures to comply with a Court-monitored Settlement Agreement – failures that have led to “profound” trauma and suffering for those incarcerated in the Philadelphia jails. Calling for immediate resolution for longstanding issues, the motion also demands that daily fines be imposed, which ultimately would be distributed directly to individuals incarcerated in the Philadelphia Department of Prisons.
Settlement Requires Major Changes and Increased Staffing at Allegheny County Jail
PILP Sends Advocacy Letter on Behalf of Autistic Individual Denied Disability Accommodations
Class Action Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Plaintiffs Subjected to Severe Conditions in Solitary Confinement
PITTSBURGH - People incarcerated at six prisons across Pennsylvania have filed a class action lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of solitary confinement in the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. The suit is the first of its kind that seeks to end prolonged and indefinite solitary confinement and prohibit all solitary confinement for anyone with a mental health diagnosis. The plaintiffs are represented by the Abolitionist Law Center (ALC), the Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project (PILP), and Dechert LLP. The suit was filed in federal court.
PILP Sends Advocacy Letter Citing Lack of Appropriate Medical Care at SCI Coal Township
Lawsuit Filed on Behalf of Man who was Choked While In Restraints, Subjected to Racial Slurs
On November 14, 2023, the Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project (PILP) filed a lawsuit against Warden Craig Lowe and other staff at the Pike County Correctional Facility (PCCF) on behalf of Damion Davis, who was subjected to excessive force, racist abuse, and retaliation in December 2021, when he was being held at the jail as an immigration detainee. PCCF has a contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain immigrants.
PILP Sends Advocacy Letter on Behalf of Incarcerated Man Seeking Approval to Get Married
The Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project has sent and advocacy letter to Department of Corrections (DOC) counsel and to the Superintendent of SCI Waymart. The advocacy letter is on behalf of an incarcerated man and his fiancée, who have been trying to get married for over a year and keep getting thwarted by DOC staff, who haven't offered any genuine reason to deny the request.