Prison Society Strategic Plan 2023- 2027

PROTECTING THE HEALTH, SAFETY, AND DIGNITY OF INCARCERATED PEOPLE

WELCOME

Welcome to the 2023-2027 Pennsylvania Prison Society Strategic Plan: Forward Together, a plan for growth and sustainability.

At the Prison Society, looking back is fascinating and often inspiring—more than 235 years of profoundly impactful work that has shaped our state and our nation, built on a bedrock commitment to the humanity of all people.

It is also easy to become consumed with the issues of the day. Coming out of a worldwide pandemic and its social and economic repercussions, prisons have emerged more isolating and damaging than they were just three years ago. The need for the Society’s services and voice is more acute than ever.

Which is why it is so important for us to look forward, to set clear goals, and forge a path to get to them. That is what this document does. It comes out of a year of board, community advisory council, and staff discussion, debate, and planning. We challenged ourselves to dream big and to plan practically. What follows is a roadmap to a more impactful Prison Society and a more humane Pennsylvania.

I am excited to share this work with you, and I invite you to join us on this journey of action, growth, and impact.

THANK YOU FOR LEADING THE WAY FORWARD WITH US.

CLAIRE SHUBIK-RICHARDS Executive Director

PURPOSE

OUR VISION FOR A BETTER FUTURE

A Pennsylvania that values and safeguards the health, safety, and dignity of people in prisons and jails, supports and strengthens family and community ties, and a nation in which depriving people of their liberty is a last resort for public safety.

We can act objectively and with integrity, while still bringing great compassion and sensitivity to our work on both sides of the bars.

RESPECT.

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We believe that respect should be the default option, rather than needing to be earned. We operate from a foundation of deep respect for human beings, which comes to light in how we interact with each other and with those we serve.

CORE VALUES

Our commitment to honesty and transparency means a dedication to finding the truth and speaking that truth loudly. Backed by data collection, monitoring, and research, when we speak, we speak fact.

ACTION.

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There’s a great difference between seeing what needs to be done, talking in detail about how to do it, and actually doing it. Our work is rooted in action rather than academia or theory; we dive in, and we do what it takes to get the job done.

GOALS

BETWEEN 2023 AND 2027, WE WILL INCREASE THE SCOPE OF OUR PROGRAMS

STRATEGIC FOCUS

INCREASE OUR INSTITUTIONAL RESILIENCE

INCREASE THE AREAS OF OUR INFLUENCE

PRIORITY AREAS

Prison Monitoring Family & Community Supports

Data & Information, Education & Advocacy

OUR UNIQUE ACCESS

The Prison Society is Pennsylvania’s only independent monitor of prisons and jails, and the only non-governmental organization in the state with legal authority to visit any prison or jail—the same level of access as the governor. We are on the ground in all 85 state and county correctional facilities bearing witness to prison conditions.

OUR HISTORY

In 1787, our nation’s founders established the Pennsylvania Prison Society out of the belief that society should treat all incarcerated people with dignity, and that our nation’s criminal laws should “restore people to lives of virtue and happiness.”

FOR MORE THAN 235 YEARS, THE PRISON SOCIETY HAS CHAMPIONED HUMAN RIGHTS.

WE MONITOR & MEDIATE

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We visit with and assist incarcerated people experiencing problems in prison.

WE CONNECT

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We build and repair bridges between people on the inside and their communities. We work to protect the health, safety, and dignity of incarcerated people in Pennsylvania. WE

EDUCATE & ADVOCATE

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We fill a significant information gap about what’s happening in jails across Pennsylvania and advocate for systemic change.

In 2022, we were responsible for the first increase in prison wages in two decades.

In 2020, we were part of a successful petition to the Pennsylvania Supreme Court resulting in the emergency release of people in custody at the start of the pandemic.

In 1987, we led the successful movement to place a moratorium on private prisons in Pennsylvania.

In 1931, we created the Defenders Association of Philadelphia.

In 1871, we successfully advocated for the creation of an expert Board of Pardons, rather than allowing pardon power to rest solely with the governor.

In 1823, we established the practice of separate facilities for adults and children.

In 1787, we led the movement to eliminate corporal punishment in Pennsylvania and nationally.

Prison Monitoring

All people incarcerated and detained in Pennsylvania state and county prisons look to the Prison Society as a powerful resource for getting issues in prison resolved. Locally and nationally, the Prison Society is recognized as a leader in prison monitoring.

GOAL

Expand and deepen the use of our one-of-a-kind access to provide multifaceted, proactive facility monitoring and to ensure that all people incarcerated in Pennsylvania can receive timely, high-quality assistance from the Society.

OBJECTIVES

Expand & Deepen Facility Relationships. Expand our relationships with facility administrators, staff, and DOC Central office to ensure timely response to requests for assistance and follow-up advocacy from prison monitors in all Pennsylvania state and county prisons.

Increase Staffing. Expand regional prison monitoring staff to ensure intensive support for, and oversight of, volunteer chapters.

Grow & Develop Volunteer Monitor Network. Invest in the recruitment, training, and ongoing support required to build a truly statewide network of active volunteers and the infrastructure to support them.

Expand Proactive Monitoring Activities. Further develop proactive monitoring activities to better identify issues and propose solutions before they become problems.

Enhance Tracking of Volunteer Work. Develop tools and protocols for staff and volunteers to better record and account for ombuds and monitoring work to assist in overall program improvement and to enable spotting of systemic issues.

Expand & Enhance Prison Oversight. Elevate the prominence of the field by building partnerships,

“In all my years of being incarcerated, I’ve never reached out for help. I thought reaching out always went unnoticed; so, to have someone come out to visit and talk to me worked wonders. I know [the prison monitor] can’t offer legal help, but the mere fact that she noticed my attitude was proper, and that the staff sees me in a positive way just affirmed my belief that I am moving in the right direction of rehabilitation.”

Family & Community Supports

Family and Community Support

mitigates and dismantles the isolation caused by mass incarceration for currently and formerly incarcerated people and their loved ones.

GOAL

Expand meaningful, state-wide programming to improve well-being of people impacted by incarceration, reduce recidivism, and strengthen communities.

OBJECTIVES

Enhance Programming for Incarcerated & Formerly Incarcerated People. Design meaningful, well-defined, customizable programming options to foster strong social support networks.

Strengthen Services to Families. Address barriers to staying connected to and caring for incarcerated loved ones.

Invest in Volunteer and Staff Recruitment, Training, & Support. Develop a volunteer management plan as programming expands inclusive of recruitment, routine training and onboarding, and formalizing the volunteer experience. Recruitment efforts will emphasize the importance of peer support models.

Increase Partnerships. Dedicate staff capacity to identifying service and referral partners to ensure that incarcerated people and their loved ones know about our services and trust the information we provide to them about outside organizations.

“I can’t thank you and the Prison Society enough for your constant faith and belief in change … Oftentimes, we feel alone, and we lack faith in ourselves and being in these prisons can break us, as I know all too well. People like you let me know all is not lost, and together there is hope for a brighter tomorrow.”

Data & Information, Education & Advocacy

The Prison Society is the trusted source for timely, reliable, accurate information on what’s happening in Pennsylvania prisons and jails, a catalyst for honest understanding, empathy, and action.

GOAL

Harness our unique access to provide the transparency needed for honest understanding of conditions in Pennsylvania’s county and state prisons. Through information gathering, communication, coalition building, and outreach we spark empathy and action that promotes the health, safety, and dignity of people living behind bars.

OBJECTIVES

Develop Data & Information Gathering Capacity. Strengthen data and information gathering capacity to build awareness of critical issues. Hard data analysis can shine a light on the stark gap between policy and lived experience and shows the magnitude of the problem.

Expand & Strengthen Communication Strategies. Research and develop new approaches for providing information to people in Pennsylvania county and state prisons and their families. Continue to build an understanding of information needs and communications preferences of the families and people in custody who rely on us so that we can fill a deep void of reliable information for communities hit hardest by incarceration.

Increase Awareness of the Prison Society Among Public Officials Across the Commonwealth. Make sure that every county and city council member and manager, and every state legislator knows the Prison Society, knows what we do, and knows us as a reliable source of honest information.

Expand Awareness & Deepen Engagement with the Society’s Work and Issues. Develop and deepen one-on-one relationships with strategic, community, and civic leaders and organizations such as the Board, Prison Society volunteers and supporters, and to call upon them for individual or collaborative action to promote the Society’s priorities.

“Prison advocacy is so important as this is a significantly overlooked, judged, and mistreated population. I am deeply grateful for your organization and your work.”

HELPLINE: 215-564-4775

EID# 23-1352267

WE ARE ALL PART OF THE SOLUTION.

WHAT’S YOUR ROLE?

JOIN

We are seeking to maintain a robust Community Advisory Council that authentically represents our diverse community. The Society’s Advisory Council meets regularly throughout the year and advises on our community impact, fundraising, programmatic guidance, and visibility. Through the Advisory Council, we help ensure we are meeting the goals of our Strategic Plan and will advise the Board of Directors on what needs to be done to ensure progress and success. Scan here to nominate a Board/Advisory Council candidate.

VOLUNTEER

We are a regional organization that is supported by a tremendous network of dedicated volunteers. We are always looking for committed individuals who care deeply about human dignity. If you want to get involved with our work inside and outside of prisons, scan here.

SUPPORT

We need your support to successfully realize the vision set forth in this Strategic Plan. If you resonate with this vision and the goals we have outlined to achieve it, help us meet our new, ambitious goals while continuing to address the overwhelming need in our region. Donate today by scanning here.