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Despite Public Pressure, General Assembly Caves to DOC Budget Increase

July 2, 2013
For Immediate Release
Attention:  News Desk

Harrisburg, PA – Despite statewide opposition, on Sunday, June 30, the Pennsylvania General Assembly approved a budget for FY2013-2014 that provides a $75 million budget increase for the Department of Corrections (DOC). Despite massive protests and hundreds of calls, postcards, and emails from constituents in districts across Pennsylvania, legislators inexplicably gave the state prison system an even larger budget increase than Governor Corbett initially requested.

This expansive increase flies in the face of efforts by grassroots groups like Decarcerate PA, who recently marched from Philadelphia to Harrisburg to demand that the legislature vote no on an increased prison budget, cancel ongoing prison expansion projects, and invest in creating strong communities instead.

City Paper: For Schools Advocates, $400 Million Prison Expansion Is a Bitter Pill

With what Pennsylvania’s spending on new prisons, our school-funding crisis could be resolved.

Daniel Denvir

Posted: Thu, Jun. 27, 2013, 12:00 AM

Over the past several weeks, as teachers and students have protested in the streets over the devastating layoffs of 3,859 Philadelphia public-school employees, workers at a sprawling construction site 30 miles to the north have been making orderly progress. Their work site? The future state prisons, Phoenix I and II, that is planned to replace Montgomery County’s State Correctional Institution at Graterford, at a $400 million price tag. 

At a time when Philly schools are facing a $304 million budget gap, critics say the construction reflects backward priorities — particularly on the part of Republican Gov. Tom Corbett, who has cut nearly $1 billion from public-school funding. That sentiment has spread in recent weeks, going viral on Facebook and prompting a widely criticized performance by Mayor Michael Nutter on MSNBC.

Daily News Op Ed: 'A people's budget, not a prison budget'

BY DIANE FOGLIZZO & ANISSA WEINRAUB
Posted: June 24, 2013

ON SATURDAY, May 25, 45 people set off on foot from the steps of Philadelphia's Art Museum on a 113-mile mission to build a different future for Pennsylvania. Over the next 10 days, members of Decarcerate PA and ally organizations marched from Philadelphia to Harrisburg to demand "a people's budget, not a prison budget."

This diverse group of marchers - students, teachers, parents, organizers, and men and women who have spent decades in prison - demanded that Gov. Corbett and the state Legislature cancel the unnecessary $400 million prison-construction project in Montgomery County and invest those resources into fully funding public education, maintaining much-needed social services and helping people across the state access quality, affordable health care.

the Inquirer: Letter to the Editor from Decarcerate PA

Warehousing isn't the answer

Posted: June 14, 2013

While on the recent Decarcerate PA 10-day march from Philadelphia to Harrisburg, I wrote to comment on reports of $400 million in prison construction slated for Montgomery County. State prisons chief John Wetzel will be adding some 1,000 beds, yet his department's projections indicate those beds aren't needed. Pennsylvania prison growth has long been out of control. We need to reduce the prison population and invest in strong, safe, and stable communities. Wetzel likes to talk about being a prison reformer, but refuses to walk the walk. That's why Decarcerate PA members walked in heat and rain to offer Harrisburg leaders a vision for real change.

Post-Gazette: Protesters of prison expansion march to Harrisburg

June 1, 2013 12:11 am
0
 PrintEmailRead LaterBy Josh Fatzick / Post-Gazette Harrisburg Bureau

HARRISBURG -- A group of about 40 activists calling for a moratorium on new prison funding, left Philadelphia on Saturday on a nine-day-long march to Harrisburg for what it calls "a people's budget, not a prison budget."

Members of Decarcerate PA, a grass-roots organization with an eclectic group of protesters that include former prisoners, family members of current prisoners and students whose schools are being closed due to budget cuts, planned the march to bring awareness to cuts in education funding and to protest the construction of two new prisons outside Philadelphia in Montgomery County.

The Philadelphia Tribune: Decarcerate PA march reaches Harrisburg

PhillyTrib.comWritten by  Damon C. Williams
Thursday, 06 June 2013 12:04

Increased education funding and the deceleration of prison expansion statewide were the two major themes of pro-education, pro-prison reform group Decarcerate PA as it concluded a 100-mile march to the state capitol to hand-deliver their demands.

Decarcerate PA’s movement comes as Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett has eliminated roughly a billion dollars from the education budget while looking for extra funds to build several new prisons.

NBC 10: Protesters Demand a People's Budget

By Sarah Glover|  Tuesday, Jun 4, 2013  |

From Philly to Harrisburg. 

Decarcerate PA led a protest on the state capitol steps in Harrisburg today. About 150 people participated, including members of Fight for Philly. 

Today's protest was the final stop of a 10 day march from Philadelphia to Harrisburg. About 20 people participated in the 113 mile journey, which began May 25 at LOVE Park. 

"We went all out physically and mentally," said Sean Damon of Decarcerate PA. "We did it because we believe there is another way possible."  

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