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Advocates, defenders and medical staff press council for robust prison oversight and access to records
Summary
Prison advocates, the Defender Association and monitoring groups testified that an independent oversight office should have authority to access records, review video, conduct unannounced tours and report publicly, citing historical deaths and recent litigation as evidence of gaps in transparency.
Advocates, prison monitors and medical leaders urged the Committee on Labor and Civil Service to ensure Bill 251099 establishes a robust, independent watchdog with real authority to inspect Philadelphia’s jails and to protect people in custody.
Tom Innes, director of prison advocacy at the Defender Association of Philadelphia, told the committee that for decades families and lawyers have relied on lawsuits to get answers and that oversight bodies that report to the mayor or to jail leadership are ineffective. "Oversight that answers to the very system it is supposed to oversee is…
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