Michael Resnick, commissioner of the city Department of Prisons, spoke at last week’s meeting of Take Back Your Neighborhood.
Resnick is an attorney who formerly worked for the city Law Department and ran the prisons in Baltimore for six years.
Resnick said the prisons department operates four facilities, all along State Road: Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center, the Detention Center and Riverside Correctional Facility.
The House of Correction is closed, and Holmesburg Prison has been shuttered since 1995.
While Philadelphia once had a prison population of about 9,000, Resnick said the current figure is about 3,550. Among that total is about 230 women and 16 juvenile males charged with serious crimes.
Resnick said about 90 percent of the inmate population is awaiting trial, while the rest have already been sentenced to less than two years in jail.
The population includes about 600 people charged with murder, along with some inmates eligible for work release who are jailed for relatively minor offenses such as DUI.
Resnick said accused killers are not in the same population as inmates charged with low-level offenses.
A lot of correctional officers left during COVID, but Resnick said hiring is ongoing, and new employees don’t have to live in the city and will receive a $10,000 bonus. Applicants must be at least 20 and have a high school diploma. Apply at phila.gov/jobs
Resnick added that the attrition rate for correctional officers is going down, as is the medical backlog for prisoners.
The prisons offer a variety of vocational training programs for inmates. They can earn a GED and learn about careers such as home health aide and commercial drivers. The New Leash on Life program allows inmates to care for rescue dogs who are later adopted, while the inmates are granted early parole for jobs in the animal care field.
Inmates also grow food for donation to the needy and participate in a composting program that processes prison food waste and donates the compost for use in gardens.
Resnick said the prisons do not offer the “Scared Straight” method of deterring young people from a life of crime, arguing he does not believe it is effective.
Resnick said the prisons accept volunteers who can help inmates in the areas of finances and reading and math literacy. A resource center will open soon on prison grounds for inmates to visit before they are discharged.
In other news from the June 16 meeting:
• Mark Mroz, community relations officer in the 2nd Police District, said school officers will spend the summer monitoring swimming pools at Max Myers, Lawncrest, Fox Chase, Houseman and Jardel playgrounds.
Mroz said, compared to last year, shootings, robberies, robberies with guns, residential burglaries, thefts from autos and retail theft are down in the 2nd district. Stolen autos are up. The district is also making more truant stops and car stops.
Mroz spoke of recent shootings on the 6500 block of Horrocks St. and the 6100 block of Summerdale Ave. The victims in both cases are being uncooperative with detectives.
Two guns were stolen from someone hanging out at Tarken.
There was a robbery on the 1300 block of Hellerman St. and an aggravated assault on the 1500 block of Devereaux Ave., as a mother was chasing her son with a gun.
Meanwhile, the 2nd and 7th police district community bike ride will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 5, at 5 p.m. at Fox Chase Elementary School, 500 Rhawn St. Participants will be eligible for a new bike giveaway at 5:30. Take Back Your Neighborhood is donating two bikes.
• The Five Points Night Market will take place on Thursday, June 26, from 5-9 p.m. at Rising Sun and Cottman avenues in Burholme. Admission is free. There will be more than 20 food trucks, entertainment, games and shopping.
• Robert Rudnitsky, who heads Take Back Your Neighborhood, thanked volunteer Pam Baranackie for her efforts over the years. Baranackie is moving to Quakertown and has resigned her position with state Rep. Jared Solomon. Rudnitsky said Baranackie was instrumental on issues such as cracking down on illegal car washes and food trucks and rogue vendors, neighborhood cleanups, zoning and meeting schedules.
• Rep. Jared Solomon will host a Real ID documentation pop-up event at his office, 6434 Castor Ave., on July 21, from 1-3 p.m. Solomon’s office will assist with birth certificates, Real ID brochures, document checklists and unclaimed property. The Register of Wills will process certified copies of marriage records needed for obtaining a Real ID.
• Rep. Jared Solomon will sponsor a community safety day on Thursday, Aug. 14, from 4-6 p.m. at Roosevelt Playground, 6455 Walker St. ••
