June 17, 2015

Honorable Michael Nutter

Mayor, City of Philadelphia
Room 215
City Hall, Philadelphia

Mayor Nutter,
As you are aware, I introduced legislation in City Council that would give the
Department of Public Property authorization to acquire property at 7777 State Rd. in
my Council District. This legislation has been the subject of substantial contention
and confusion.
I introduced this bill because I believe that we have a responsibility to replace the
existing House of Correction, as there are a number of issues with the current
structure. The rising costs of running the crumbling, severely outdated facility are
issues of operational and financial efficiency. Due to overcrowding, structural decay
and poor living conditions, the prison has been the subject of several Federal and
State civil rights lawsuits, including one currently set to go to trial next year.
The property on which the replacement facility would be constructed has been
vacant for decades, with no sign of activity. But the most significant issues are
issues of human dignity. How are we to expect the inmates at 7777 State Road to
emerge as rehabilitated citizens, ready to rejoin our City and our workforce, when
the facility that they are forced to live in while incarcerated violates their basic
human rights?
While I believe that most of the members of City Council agree that we need to take
action to replace the House of Correction, uninformed and politically motivated
critics have used this legislation to conflate, rewrite, distort, distract and lie about
the intent of this legislation. A replacement for this outdated and dangerous facility
will not siphon money away from our cash strapped schools; this is not a choice

between school desks and prison beds. It is easy to play on public fears and to
spread misinformation to fuel a culture of inaction. It is much more difficult to make
tough decisions, particularly when those decisions most directly affect the least
powerful among us.
Though I believe that a replacement facility should have the support of every
member of City Council, I recognize that this legislation has created an opportunity
to have a public conversation about issues of incarceration and the criminal justice
system. Out of respect for my colleagues and to engage in a productive
conversation about how to move Philadelphia forward on these issues, I am taking
the following actions:

Re-refer bill 150406 to Committee. I will schedule the bill for additional hearings in
the Fall and ask that any stakeholder with interest contact my office to participate in
the hearings. In the mean time, I will host another series of telephone townhalls
and I will attend community meetings to answer questions and address concerns.
Ultimately, this is a decision we will likely be forced to make, again, by the Federal
government and at greater cost with less management capacity.

Creating of a Philadelphia Prison and Incarceration Reform Working Group. With the
support of Council President Clarke, I have asked my colleague Councilwoman
Jannie Blackwell to co-chair this group with me. In partnership with your
Administration, the First Judicial District, the Philadelphia Prison System, criminal
justice advocates, the Sheriffs Office, the Bar Association, the public defenders, the
District Attorneys office, correctional officers, citizens, civil rights and advocacy
groups working on behalf of the incarcerated, we will work to find common ground
on the issues raised over the course of the past several weeks. More information
about this working group will be made available in the coming weeks.
I still believe the construction of a replacement prison is a matter of both fiscal
necessity and basic human rights. Working concurrently with your Administration
following the recent MacArthur Foundation grant aimed at reducing our prison
population, it is my goal to find the most comprehensive, plan to do the same with
this group, while improving inmate and re-entry services and providing safe,
humane and efficient facilities for the incarcerated.
Regards,

Bobby Henon
Councilman - 6th District