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Resident urges action on Berks County Prison cooperation with DHS; pastor calls for unity
Summary
During public comment a pastor urged unity and justice; an online resident, Lisa Gallagher, asked commissioners to address alleged due‑process concerns over Berks County Prison’s cooperation with DHS, saying detainees lose court access and county taxpayers shoulder costs.
Pastor Evelyn Morrison offered a brief in‑person public comment urging unity across the community and calling for compassion on housing and homelessness issues; she closed with holiday wishes to the commissioners and attendees.
An online comment submitted by Lisa Gallagher of Spring Township was read aloud by the clerk. Gallagher urged commissioners to address what she called continuing fiscal and legal concerns about Berks County Prison’s voluntary cooperation with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Gallagher alleged that the practice denies due process to some people in custody by limiting access to hearings regardless of charge or bail status, and she wrote that the county is paying taxpayer dollars for up to 48 hours of hold time and associated staffing and overhead. "Everyone deserves their day in court and the opportunity to have their cases heard," Gallagher wrote, and she urged the commissioners to use their positions as voting members of the prison board to make an immediate change.
No recorded response or formal direction appears in the transcript; the public‑comment period ended and the meeting moved to a motion to adjourn.
Next steps: Gallagher asked the commissioners to raise the issue at the next prison board meeting; the transcript does not record whether commissioners committed to that action during this meeting.
