Smaller new jail, more just & safe future within our control
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Smaller new jail, more just & safe future within our control *
Before any big decision, it’s wise to get a second opinion. That’s why we asked the Prison Policy Initiative to take a look at the Needs Assessment report prepared by CGL, which County Commissioners are relying on to build a new jail that can fit 1,000 of us, even though our jail’s population hasn’t been over 800 in years, and we are primarily filling our jail with people who are waiting for their day in court, and who could be better served in our community. Click below to read the alternative analysis, which includes some suggested, easy changes Lancaster County could implement for a more just future!
We are creating a more just and humane pretrial system in Lancaster County
Lancaster has a bail problem: Since we started watching in 2021, anywhere from 62-71% of the people behind bars at Lancaster County Prison are not serving sentences, they are being detained pretrial. In real numbers, that’s over 500 people per day behind bars in our local jail who haven’t been convicted of anything. Many are there simply because they cannot afford their bail.
Cash bail and pretrial incarceration are costly practices that perpetuate the inequalities of our criminal system. Cash bail and pretrial incarceration lead to worse outcomes for those detained - both in their cases and in their lives - and for our community.
Thanks to our friends at the Vera Institute of Justice’s Beyond Jails Initiative, we know just how much money Lancaster County spends on our current practices. Thanks to this BUDGET ANALYSIS we know our county jail is the largest burden on taxpayers. In 2024, $23 of every $100 in property taxes goes towards our jail, and this will only increase if the County moves forward with their plans to build a $400 million new structure.
Cash bail affects our community and our neighbors. And it’s funded by our tax dollars. We believe in our collective responsibility to demand a change and work together to create a more just, equitable, and humane pretrial system in Lancaster.
From the President's Desk
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From the President's Desk . . .
Have you seen the news?
In April 2022, the ACLU of PA filed a federal class action law suit against Lancaster County over our unconstitutional bail practices.
The lawsuit claims our magisterial district judges (MDJs) illegally set bail by not giving arrested people an opportunity to be heard and by not considering their ability to pay.
We are also being sued over our unconstitutional and systemic failure to provide attorneys at initial bail hearings.
Will you sign our petition?
As the County solidifies plans to build a new jail, the urgency to examine our system is growing.
In partnership with other community organizations, we have identified four action-items we believe would significantly lower our jail population and result in a safer, more just and economically robust Lancaster.
Please read, sign and share our petition.
