Promoting the health, safety, and dignity of incarcerated people and families I M PA C T R E P O RT 2 0 2 2-2 0 2 3
Letter From The Executive Director This year, the Pennsylvania Prison Society made a profound difference in the health, safety, and dignity of people living behind bars and their families. This report shows the impact we made in 2023 by assisting incarcerated people, by exposing and addressing issues behind bars, and by helping families build and maintain connection through the distance and isolation of prison.
Today’s Impact 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. In our 236th year, the need for the Society’s services and voice is more acute than ever. In the first year of our new strategic plan, Forward Together, we leveraged growing recognition that the work we do has a deep, enduring impact. As you will read, we provided assistance to tens of thousands of incarcerated people and their families, sparked improvements in correctional facilities across the state, and contributed to meaningful, lasting change.
Tomorrow’s Future The Prison Society works to create a future in which the health, safety, and dignity of people in prisons and jails are safeguarded, family and community ties are supported during incarceration, and in which depriving people of their liberty is a last resort for public safety. Sometimes that future can seem far off, but this past year, we caught a glimpse of what it might look like when several staff toured facilities in the United Kingdom. Although the British facilities we saw looked and felt like some of the less-well-maintained facilities in Pennsylvania—with rats and roaches, and unpleasant smells—there were striking differences.
Prisons in England have a mandate to foster family connection. They recognize that a strong family or community tie can be the deciding factor in someone’s success when they come home from prison. In all three facilities we visited there was programming. At one jail, a computer programming class was filled. At a second, a warehouse was staffed by 100+ incarcerated men busily filling commissary orders. The warehouse was operated by a company that extends job offers to people in custody prior to release. The opportunities for education, work, and self-improvement we observed went well beyond what we see in Pennsylvania, where many instructors and counselors retired or quit during the pandemic and have not been replaced. England’s incarceration rate is half the incarceration rate of Pennsylvania, despite having a generally similar crime rate. That is, in part, because Pennsylvania, like other states, imposes prison sentences more frequently and for longer periods of time. With fewer people in prison for less time, there can be more staff for each person in custody—more staff to keep people in prison safe, more staff to run programs, and more staff to help families connect. Fundamentally, even a more humane prison is, by its very nature, damaging and repressive. Nevertheless, what we saw, recognizes the value of people who live in prison, who work in prison, and their families in a way that was inspiring and achievable.
Because of You The Prison Society is the sum of its supporters, donors, and volunteers. None of this happens without you. Thank you for being a part of the Prison Society in our effort to create 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 in which depriving people of their liberty is a last resort for public safety.
Together, we are creating the future we want.
C L A I R E S H U B I K- R I C H A R D S Executive Director
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C O N D I T I O N S I M PA C T
Safeguarding Lives 59
TOTAL PRISONS & JAILS VISITED
23
COMPREHENSIVE WALKTHROUGHS OF CORRECTIONAL FACILITIES
2,089
ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS WITH INCARCERATED PEOPLE TO ADDRESS HEALTH & SAFETY CONCERNS
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REGIONAL VOLUNTEER TRAININGS
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Oversight impacts how people in prison are treated and the conditions they face. We play a key role by bearing witness to problems and advocating for solutions. This year, we increased our number of regional staff monitoring prison conditions. With more feet on the ground, our impact is growing.
Advancing Nutrition in Prisons Allegheny County Jail switched to a new food service provider after the Prison Society helped bring serious problems with the jail’s food to light. In 2022, we conducted the first-ever, facility-wide survey of people incarcerated at the Allegheny County Jail (ACJ), at the request of the county. The survey results documented reports of food that was moldy, rotten, and contaminated with insects and rodent droppings. Ninety-five percent of respondents said they regularly went hungry. Two months later, ACJ announced a new exterminator and a new food vendor.
Growing Oversight The Prison Society is playing a key advisory role in establishing a new jail oversight board with expanded access in Philadelphia. In the fall of 2022, we took members of the Philadelphia Jail Advisory Board and City Council on a monitoring tour of one of the city’s jails. Witnessing conditions firsthand has been a critical factor in City Council’s introduction of a charter change to create a new jail oversight board.
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Ending Abuse After we exposed patterns of abuse and neglect in the Restricted Housing Unit at SCI Fayette, prison officials promptly took action. In summer 2023, our lead monitor for SCI Fayette saw an increase in complaints coming from the prison’s Restricted Housing Unit (RHU or segregation). The reported patterns of abuse and neglect ranged from lack of access to rulebooks and grievance forms to withheld food and patterns of excessive force. There were also reports of staff encouraging suicide. After dozens of complaints to the prison’s administration, our volunteers with staff support collated our data from the RHU and presented a pattern of complaints specifically against one staff person. When we toured the RHU one month later, the staff person had been reassigned and conditions and treatment had significantly improved. Both the men in custody and the administration expressed gratitude for assistance.
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C O N N E C T I O N I M PA C T
Ending Isolation 8,102
CALLS TO OUR HELPLINE ANSWERED
3,100
LETTERS TO OUR HELPLINE ANSWERED
1,065
ONE-ON-ONE MENTORING SESSIONS
102
INCARCERATED PARTICIPANTS IN PRISON SOCIETY REENTRY WORKSHOPS
117
INCARCERATED FATHERS PARTICIPATED IIN FATHERHOOD GROUPS
Connection is a critical component to promoting health, safety, and dignity. People in prison are just that: People. They are brothers, uncles, mothers, and neighbors. Maintaining connection with loved ones on the outside strengthens the relationships people need to help them cope with incarceration and thrive when they come home. This year, we bolstered our efforts to dismantle systemic isolation by increasing staff and programming. Our Helpline doubled its capacity to answer questions about prisons and jails; we launched a new monthly support group for formerly incarcerated people; and we refined our ability to help families negotiate technological barriers associated with visiting policies. We are helping more families in more parts of the state navigate an opaque, traumatizing system. Love is one thing that incarceration cannot interrupt.
Reducing Barriers to Visiting We are a resource for families struggling to navigate complex online scheduling systems in county jails. A distraught mother called our office frustrated that the jail would not help her visit. Our Helpline staff took the time to walk her through the process, reuniting her with her son for the first time since his arrest. For many families, new digital systems are confusing or inaccessible without help from our staff. No family should be barred from visiting because of a disability, poverty, or lack of digital savvy.
Strengthening Family Connection We launched programming in a Community Correctional Center (CCC or halfway house) for the first time in recent organizational history. Prison Society Family Reunification groups offer a space for people transitioning home to reflect and begin repairing interpersonal relationships.
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Building Networks of Support Our mentors provide crucial, individualized support for mentees as they prepare for life after incarceration. A mentoring program participant who was beginning the fall term at a community college was denied parole, causing his release to be delayed another six months. His mentor jumped into action, contacted the community college and arranged for a deferment, ensuring that his admission efforts didn’t go to waste.
P E R S O N A L I M PA C T
Meet Virginia “I turned to the Prison Society when my son was sent to [the state prison in] Albion, seven hours from Philadelphia—almost outside the state—I couldn’t believe it. Without the transportation program, seeing him in person would have been impossible.” “Family connection is so essential to adjustment, mental health, and a successful return home. Just being able to touch your loved one and remind them that you still love them, that they are still in the family—there’s no substitute for that. “The Prison Society supported me when I had no support.” Hear Virginia tell her own personal story about the importance of staying connected on WURD radio.
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A DVO C A C Y I M PA C T
Activating Empathy We believe that all community members, especially those in positions of power, need to see behind prison walls to understand what it means to be confined there. Until you come faceto-face with what’s happening behind bars, you don’t understand the urgency to disrupt the degradation. We give the public and policy makers independent information on what is happening in Pennsylvania correctional facilities—information unavailable anywhere else—to increase understanding and awareness, and guide good decision making. More and more, elected officials are turning to the Prison Society for crucial insights into prisons and jails. The media is amplifying the issues we bring to light, and our dedicated supporters are mobilizing to drive systemic change. We are directly influencing policy and public perception to drive meaningful change.
We Did It! Advocacy Agenda
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Advocacy Wins
Stop price “gouging”
The DOC increased wages for people in state prison 20% across the board.
Hunger and nutrition in prison
Philadelphia jail adjusted meal times to address reports of people going hungry between meals and Allegheny jail switched food service providers.
Remove barriers to in-person visiting
State senators made removing barriers to in-person visiting a key issue in their confirmation of new Pennsylvania Corrections Secretary, Laurel Harry.
Access to medical and mental health care
Physicians for Criminal Justice Reform joined the coalition to end the $5 co-pay that prevents many incarcerated Pennsylvanians from accessing needed medical care.
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Reducing Financial Hardships for People in Prison & Their Families Because of our advocacy, the Department of Corrections increased wages for people in custody. After the Prison Society published an analysis showing that the DOC hiked commissary prices 26.7 percent in fall 2022, the DOC increased wages 20 percent across the board. This policy change was sparked by incarcerated people who wrote to us about surging prices. The raises will relieve some of the burden of commissary price increases that far outpaced inflation in the outside world.
Expanding Voting Access For Incarcerated People In Pennsylvania We registered hundreds of incarcerated voters. Along with coalition partners from the Committee of Seventy, the PENNfranchise Project, the NAACP, the League of Women Voters, and All Voting Is Local, we provided incarcerated people the information they need to register to vote. Together, we helped register hundreds of voters in Pennsylvania jails. Our work showed how this kind of outreach can drastically increase participation in the democratic process among incarcerated people, whose voices too often go unheard by policymakers making decisions that directly impact their lives.
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C E L E B R AT I N G I M PA C T
Mission Champions Our annual award winners impact the lives of incarcerated Pennsylvanians and their families through their leadership, compassion, and commitment to health, safety, and dignity behind bars.
Speaker Joanna McClinton
Andrea Stripen
HUMAN RIGHTS CHAMPION OF
VOLUNTEER OF THE YEAR, PHILADELPHIA
THE YEAR
CHAPTER
“The first time I ever walked
“What’s really important for
into a correctional facility,
people to know about the Prison
I was a high school student.
Society is that this really
I was stunned to see how many
wouldn’t be possible without
young faces there were in that
all the volunteers who just
county jail.”
step up. Despite the difficult
Throughout her rise to become the first woman speaker of the Pennsylvania House, former Prison Society board member Joanna McClinton has been a champion for human rights. She is a powerful advocate for the health, safety, and dignity of people who are currently or formerly incarcerated, and people otherwise impacted by the criminal legal system.
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circumstances [in prisons and jails], they show up and visit people.” For the past five years, Andrea has worked weekdays and weekends to address urgent calls for help from incarcerated people and their families in Philadelphia. She has co-led the Prison Society’s Philadelphia volunteers, conducting trainings, convening meetings, and ensuring all requests for help from incarcerated people and their families in Philadelphia receive prompt attention. Her efforts have consistently ensured that these pleas receive the attention and support they deserve.
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Hear from our annual award winners. Scan here:
Georgia Dovshek
Kareem (Kerry) McNeil
CORRECTIONAL EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR,
INCARCERATED PERSON OF THE YEAR,
WASHINGTON COUNTY JAIL
SCI PHOENIX
“Compassion is essential in
“My uncle Kerry has been locked
this job. It’s important that
up my entire life. I’ve never
we serve high-quality meals,
seen him as a free man. I can
and it’s a process that is
only imagine the relationship
often taken for granted.
that I would have had with him
Although there are many
[if he weren’t incarcerated].”
challenges, we at Washington
— Aleisha Peterson, Kareem’s niece who accepted the award on his behalf
County still manage to serve the best food in all of the surrounding counties.” In the world of corrections, food service can significantly influence mood and morale. Concerns about food quality also rank among the most prevalent complaints received by the Prison Society from people incarcerated in county prisons. Georgia’s dedication to using clean, fresh ingredients and maintaining an impeccable kitchen fosters an atmosphere of dignity and respect. She shares joy through special meals, empowers her team with culinary skills, and cultivates a sense of community.
Kareem’s 40-year commitment to the SCI Phoenix community is truly remarkable. He co-founded the Real Street Talk Foundation, which focuses on guiding young people away from actions that may lead to incarceration and helped start Pull of Gravity, aimed at assisting men in their reentry into communities, offering mentorship for successful reintegration. Kareem’s leadership, boundless compassion, and enduring impact on the lives of people at SCI Phoenix and beyond are truly commendable. We are required to blur Mr. McNeil’s image because of a DOC policy that prevents publication of faces of incarcerated people.
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Financial Report Thanks to the generosity of so many, 2023 was our most impactful year yet. We raised more money, reached more people, and changed more lives than ever before.
REVENUE
TOTAL REVENUE
$1,063,000
1010
● GRANTS
69%
● PROGRAM REVENUE
8%
● INDIVIDUAL DONATIONS
22%
● ENDOWMENT DISTRIBUTION
1%
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“Philanthropy is the heartbeat of every thriving non-profit. This year’s growth in individual giving speaks to the connection between our mission and the hearts of our supporters who believe in it. With increased support, we are able to each expand our services and our impact.” Emily Cheramie-Walz, Development Director
EXPENDITURES
● PROGRAM
75%
● ADMINISTRATION
17%
● FUNDRAISING
8%
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YO U R I M PA C T
Your Giving Matters Because you care, we have the power to change lives. Your support fuels our work to promote health, safety, and dignity behind bars.
Pittsburgh Gathering A big thank you to Efrem M. Grail and the Grail Law Firm for generously hosting us for our spring gathering in Pittsburgh. We were thrilled to have so many familiar faces join us for an evening of conversation and connection, and to have the time to expand and deepen our relationships with many volunteers, partners, and the like-minded in Western Pennsylvania. In her welcome remarks, Representative Emily Kinkead explained that the Prison Society has “transformed the way that incarcerated people are treated across the state and continues to work to transform and improve the system.” Senator Camera Bartolotta emphasized that we have much work to do, but together we are making a difference.
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IN MEMORIAM
Nancy H. McVaugh
Pictured are Nancy H. McVaugh and her husband George (seated) during an event with people serving a life sentence at SCI Dallas.
Ensuring Your Impact Endures The Prison Society was sad to learn of the recent passing of longtime volunteer Nancy (“Nan”) McVaugh of Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Like many of the best volunteers, Nan was dedicated, tenacious, and her compassion unfailing.
frequently over the years from people with whom she’d made a connection and a real difference in their lives. It was for this reason that Nan and George received the 2000 Volunteer of the Year Award.
Nan and her late husband of 47 years, George, dedicated countless hours to visiting with incarcerated people in several facilities, including SCI Frackville, SCI Mahanoy, SCI Graterford (now Phoenix), and SCI Coal Township. We heard
We are honored to learn that Nan provided for the Prison Society in her estate plans. Her bequest of over $140,000 will go a long way toward furthering our mission and continuing her incredible work with incarcerated people across the state.
Please let us know if you have recognized the Pennsylvania Prison Society in your estate plans or if you would like information on doing so. We sincerely hope that this Impact Report inspires you and validates your own personal connection to the Society.
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D O N O R S L I S T E D H AV E G I V E N $ 4 0 O R M O R E Crystal Adams
Mike Brown
Julia DellaPorta
Elizabeth Gallagher
Ted Agoos
Destiny Brown
Chloe DePaola
Beth Gallagher
Edward Agoos
Adele Bruch-Appel
Howard William DeWeese
John Gallery
Fareed Ahmed
Esteem Brumfield
Vincent DiAngelus
Richard Garland
David Akers
Michael Buckley
Abigail Diebold
Deborah Gausmann
Etta Albright
Janet Burd
Richard Dietrich
Lawrence Geller
Kasim Ali
Alex Busansky
Sharon Dietrich
Dmitra Gideon
Ricardo Alvarez
Timothy Byrne
Gregory Dober
Rosemary Gido Ph.D.
ANIVO at SCI Albion
Jane Cadwallader
Margaret Dobrinska
Thomas Ginsberg
Alan Appel
Lauren Campbell
Yvonne Dodson
Joan and William Goldstein
Theodore Aronson
Peter Cardinal
Michael Dombkoski
Richard Goldstein
Rackell Arum
Allen Carr
Henry Domer
Marie Gottschalk
Barbara Auerbach
Mazzie Casher
Faith Donaher
Elena Grab
Lisa Austin
Natalia Castilla
Phyllis Donahue
Edmundo Grab
William Babcock
Steven Chanenson
Gail Donner
Phyllis Grady
Chuck and Shirley Baily
Stefanie Christmas
DeVonte Douglass
Marshal and Tamar Granor
YahNé Baker
Paul Chrystie
Daniel Doyle
Charles Grasty
Hannah Balkovec
Robert Cicchinelli
Robert Dreyfus
Mike and Lisa Gribbin
Flavia Barger
Lauren Cifoni
Paul Droesch
William Griffin
Janis Barksdale
Harrod Emmanuel Clay Jr.
John Dulik
Samuel Gross
Senator Camera Bartolotta
Kim Clayborn
Felicia Dusha
John D. Grove
Troy and Debbie Beam
Charles Clopton
John Early
Robert Gutowski
Margaret Beauchesne
Carolyn Cohen
Medora Ebersole
Melissa Hacker
Gean Bechthold
Sara Jane Elk
Marie Hamilton
Will Bein
Collaborative Social Work of Central PA, Inc.
Janice Etchison
Virginia Hammond
Peter Benekos
Benn Colker
Gordon Everett
John Hargreaves
Joseph Betz
Keith Collins
Quinn Everts
Shannon Harrington
Jean Bickmire
William Coneghen
Dan Falco
Carrie Harrington
Ashley Biden
Michael Cooke
Patricia Fee
Cohen Harris
Barbara Billings
Martha Copithorne
Sylvia Feldman
Peggy Hartzell
Laura Birdsall
Kimberly Cornell
Michael Fenwick
Gabrielle Havard
Jennifer Black
Douglas and Laurel Costa
Stephen Fetter
Joseph Hicks
Robert Blair
Mark and Jena Croxford
Nan Feyler
Jennifer Hill
Nancy Blood
Robert Csandl
Shanel Fields
Miriam Hill
Stephen Bloom
Francis Cullen
Johannah Fine
Rebecca Hillyer
David Bloom
Marion Damick
Theodore Fitzgerald
Adolph Hoehling
Michael Blume
Kurt Danysh
Jenna Flohr
Jack Hoffer
Marilyn Bobrin
Nicholas Darecca
Sandra Folzer
Dianna Hollis
Sharron Boddy-Adedipe
David Davis
James Foran
Everlena Holmes
Rachel Bomysoad
Harry Davis
Leanna Foster
Pamela Hooks
Jason Boulette
Herman Davis
Mark Frailey
Andrew Horowitz
James Branz
Lavinia Davis
Erica Freeman
Sylvia Horst
Eugene Breisch
Amanda Day
Ernest Fuller
Hanna Howe
Bradley Bridge
Kristi Deckman
Cheryl Fulwiley
Renee Hughes
Alison Bristol
Michele Deitch
Richard Gabel
Cassandra Hulin
Gloria Brown
Gerald Delbridge
Nicole Gallagher
SCI Huntingdon IGWF
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Illumination Ministries
Silas Lee
Pamela Moore
Angela Putman
Indiana District United Women in Faith
John Leete
Edward Moss
Nancy Ramani
Diane Leos
Deena Moss
Grace Marie Ransom
Thomas Innes
Samantha Lew
Amanda Mouser
Matt Ray
Eric Janec
Alan Lewandowski
Andrew Mow
Jessica Raymond
Dena Jangdhari
Heather Lewis
David Moyer
Joan Reese
Robert L. Jennings
Alison Lewis
Jennifer Murphy
Kathleen Rhodes
Theresa Johnson
Timothy Liveright
Laurence Mutti
David Richman
Roderick Johnson
William Lockard
Andre Myers
Leonard Rieser
Sandra Johnson
Kimberly Lolk
Jack Nagel
Martina Risech
Ruth Johnston
Gina Lombardi
Nadia Narnor
Linda Riter
Myron Jones
Eric Long
Brianna Nelson
Theodore Robb
Reuben Jones
Addy Lord
James Nevels
Carlos Rodriguez
Laurie Jubelirer Langman
Angus Love
Larry Newberry
Susan Roncoroni
Kathleen Judge
Geraldine lowe
Yvonne Newkirk
Anita Rosenblithe
Ann Marie Judson
Bonnie Lyn Heist
Michelle Nguyen
Justice & Mercy
Naomi Maas
June Nyblade
Daniel and Barbara Rottenberg
Filip Kapular
Scott MacQueen
Linda Oberholtzer
John Rush
Jordan Kauffman
GiGi Malinchak
Holly O’Connor
Gloria Ruszkiewicz Brown
Harriet Kaylor
Joseph Manzi
Oppenheimer Foundation
Stephen Sands
James Kaylor Sr.
Harriet Marritz
Carroll Osgood
Teresa Sarmina
Linda Kegerreis
Linda Martin
Timothy Overton
Marianne Sawicki
Kerby Keller
Constance Martin
Owen Owens
Meredith Schamun
David Kellom
Ben Mattison
Kimberly Oxholm
Nicholas Scharff M.D.
Edward Kelly
Sheila Mayne
Harry Oxman
Phoebe Schellenberg
Andrea Kennedy
Gloria Mazzocco
Sara Pantazes
Paul and June Schlueter
John Kenstowicz
Liam McAlpine
Kerri Park
Marilyn Schneider
Rafa Khan
James McCain
Abdullah Pasha
Alexandria Schuster
Valerie Kiebala
Carole McCallum
Theodore Passon
JoAnn Seaver
John Killeen
Michael McCaney
Christine Paul
Elaine Selan
James Kimmel
Robbin McCarthy
Kim Paymaster
Laura Shaffer
Ashley King
Damon McCool
Lindsey Peniston
Glenn Shaffer
Rep. Emily Kinkead
Megan McDaniel
Joanne Perri
Claire Shubik-Richards
Dr. Knesset Klein
John McGuire
Lauren Perry
Joyce M. Shutt
Heidi Klopp
Mary Jane McKenna
Joan Peters
Jane Siegel
John Knapich
Andrew McKinnon
Walter Peterson
Joseph Silverman
Susan Knox
Katherine McLean
Peggy Petrillo
Jon Singer
Eva Korolishin
Mary McNichol
Shirley Pfadt
Katherine Skebeck
Vicki Kramer
Lisa Meade
Charles Picarella
Christine Small
Annette Krusewicz
Ellen Melchiondo
Katherine Pickering
Ken Smeltzer
Darlene Kvaternik
Alida Merlo Ashley
Joseph Piette
James O. Smith
Leslie Laing
James Midkiff
Margaret Platt
Judy Smith Young
William Lamberson
Annemarie Millar
Simeon Poles
Sarah Snider
Janet and Joseph Landis
Leeann Mills
Stephen and Tara Popernik
Mary Sollenberger
Janet Landon
Matthew Mitchell
Joan Porter
Leonard Sosnov
Donna Lane
Rebecca Mitchell
Ingrid Prater
Dorothy Speight
John Langel Sr.
Nancy Spooner
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I M PA C T R E P O RT 2 0 2 2-2 0 2 3
Kim Paymaster
Gerald C. Weaber
Recurring gifts are such an important part of keeping our mission afloat. We extend our appreciation to the following recurring donors:
Maria Weick
Lolo Serrano
William Stewart
Robert Blair
Joanne Weidman
Jason Boulette
Brenda Sharpe
Darlene Stewart
Gudrun Weinberg
Carol Bush
Denise Sobers
Richard Stokes
Cathy Weiss
Stephen Stept
Stephen Strahs
Peter Cardinal
Ronni Weiss
Meah Carruth
Matthew Stroud
Charles Strickler Jr.
Joan and Dane Wells
Sharon Cary
Brian Taussig-Lux
Andrea Striepen
Michael West
Chris Cera
Victoria Vesey
Patricia Stringer
Lois Whitman
Pablo Cerdera
B. August Walker
Matthew Stroud
John Will
Stefanie Christmas
Janet Walker
Catherine Struve
Merrily Williams
Shaheed Coleman
Gina Wise
Dorothy Stubbs
Martha Williams
James Wise
Phyllis Subin
Benn Colker
Linda Williams
Michael Cooke
Philip Yevics
William Sudell
Seth Williams
Keith Sultzbaugh
Kristi Deckman
Cliff Willson
Paul Swanger
Julia DellaPorta
Troy Wilson
Patricia Swesey
Yvonne Dodson
Sarah Winch
Richard Swiat
Sue Dolan
Elizabeth Wingfield
John Swisher
Michael Dombkoski
Tabitha Winklebleck
Brian Taussig-Lux
Daniel Doyle
Catherine Wise
The Benevity Community Impact Fund
Phyllis Taylor
John Early
James Wise
America’s Charities
Robert Thomas
Sara Jane Elk
Network for Good
Patricia Thomas
Stephen and Dana Wiser
Janice Etchison
National Philanthropic Trust
Linda Thomas
Andrea Witmer
Quinn Everts
Langman Family Fund
David Thornburgh
David Wolf
Donna Fernsler
Henry Thurston-Griswold
Jelena Woodham
Gregory and Kathryn Dober Charitable Fund
John Tischler
Howard Woodring
Paul Titterton
JoAnn Wyjadka
Margaret Toland
Su Ming Yeh
Stefanie Tomlinson
Philip Yevics
Claudia Tramer
David Young
Lydia Trapp
Elizabeth Yount
E. Lee Trayer
Anthony Zalesky
Victoria Trott
Thomas Zeager
Magdalena Tsiongas
Helen Zeager
Michael and Frances Rose Utkus
Roger Zepernick
Nicole Spring
B. August Walker
St. Peters Evan. Lutheran Church
Marilyn Walsh
David Stadler
Jennifer Watts
Ashley Stauber Stephen Stept
Neil Ward
Derek Zimmerman
Efigenia Vazquez
Judi and George Zucker
Victoria Vesey
Chris Zweifel
Theodore Fitzgerald Dwight Frizen Nicole Gallagher Dmitra Gideon Sylvia Horst
Shymita Pitts Marianne Sawicki Meredith Schamun
The Pennsylvania Prison Society would like to thank the following Donor Advised Funds:
Fidelity Charitable DonorAdvised Fund American Online Giving Foundation, Inc.
Hanna Howe
American Endowment Foundation
Eric Janec
OLHL Fund
James Kaylor Sr.
Schwab Charitable
Rafa Khan
The Hilda Mullen Donor Advised Fund
Dawn Marie Kidney Tonya Krebs William Lamberson Eric Long Addy Lord
James Wade
Liam McAlpine
Robert Walden
Matthew Mitchell Nadia Narnor Michelle Nguyen Kerri Park
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Jennifer Perry
Hohenwarter and Groves Family Fund The Blackbaud Giving Fund Every effort has been made to ensure an accurate and up-to-date recognition list of our donors. Please contact our development team to report any errors or omissions. Thank you!
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Focus on Foundation Support Center for Science in the Public Interest In spring 2020, the PA DOC closed dining halls and began serving food to incarcerated people in their cells on trays as a COVID mitigation measure. The Prison Society immediately began seeing an increase in letters from incarcerated people complaining about food. We were therefore surprised when, in early 2021, then-Corrections Secretary Wetzel announced that the dining hall closure would be permanent. Thanks to 18 months of funding by Bloomberg Philanthropies and Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), the Prison Society set out to understand this change’s impact. The project’s goal is to provide the DOC with information to improve food service operations that bolsters the health and wellness of the incarcerated population in the department’s care and custody. Bloomberg Philanthropies is a national foundation committed to improving public health. CSPI is a national, science-based advocacy organization working to improve the U.S. food system to support healthy eating. With funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies, CSPI is supporting projects around the country to improve food service in government institutions, including schools and prisons. We are grateful to them for their support.
We offer tremendous thanks to all the funders that helped further our critical work: Arnold Ventures
Howard Family Gift Fund
Pennsylvania State Senate
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Independence Foundation
van Ameringen Foundation
Independence Media Foundation
Vera Institute
Dolfinger-McMahon Foundation Heinz Endowments
Lenfest Journalism Foundation
Henrietta Tower-Wurts Memorial Foundation
MKM Foundation
Mary Hillman Jennings Foundation
Pittsburgh Foundation
Philadelphia Foundation
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INTERNS
Lauren Cifoni
Carrie Harrington
Angus Love
Rachel Danielewicz
Harrod Emmanuel Clay Jr.
Cohen Harris
Geraldine Lowe
Natalie Demasi
Kim Clayborn
Basym Hasan
Kathleen Lucas
Connor Demchick
Charles Clopton
Joseph Hicks
Bonnie Lyn Heist
Ezra Groff
Tyesha Colbert
Jennifer Hill
Naomi Maas
Ben Marshall
Lori Collins
Miriam Hill
GiGi Malinchak
Anastasia Pierdomenico
Martha Copithorne
Geoff Hilsabeck
Stacey Mandel
Rebecca Pohle
Desiree Cunningham
Adolph Hoehling
Joseph Manzi
Mallory Skinner
Marion Damick
Jack Hoffer
Harriet Marritz
Nicholas Sondergaard
Kurt Danysh
Dianna Hollis
Constance Martin
Sharvari Tatahjar
Nicholas Darecca
Pamela Hooks
Linda Martin
Cassidy Tilley
Lavinia Davis
Sylvia Horst
John Maule
Dean Wiley
Harry Davis
Janet Irons
Taria Mayo-Giddings
Koren Woznicki
Amanda Day
William Jackson
James McCain
Dion Deans
Dena Jangdhari
Carole McCallum
Joyce Degenhart
Angela Jimenez
Damon McCool
Chloe DePaola
Sandra Johnson
Megan McDaniel
Abigail Diebold
Theresa Johnson
John McGuire
Richard Dietrich
Roderick Johnson
Andrew McKinnon
Esther Dieudonne
Kathleen Judge
Katherine McLean
Gregory Dober
Filip Kapular
Lisa Meade
Henry Domer
Jordan Kauffman
Ellen Melchiondo
Saudia Durrant
Harriet Kaylor
Annemarie Millar
Felicia Dusha
James Kaylor Sr.
David Miller
Medora Ebersole
Linda Kegerreis
Cynthia Miller
Janice Etchison
Valerie Kiebala
Vickie Mills
Gordon Everett
John Killeen
Rebecca Mitchell
Daniel Falco
Ashley King
Pamela Moore
Sylvia Feldman
Knesset Klein
Amanda Mouser
Michael Fenwick
John Knapich
Andrew Mow
Theodore Fitzgerald
Susan Knox
David Moyer
James Foran
Eva Korolishin
Jennifer Murphy
Mark Frailey
Nathan Kruis
Laurence Mutti
Ernest Fuller
Annette Krusewicz
Nadia Narnor
Cheryl Fulwiley
Darlene Kvaternik
Brianna Nelson
Richard Gabel
Leslie Laing
Larry Newberry
Richard Garland
William Lamberson
Yvonne Newkirk
Mary Gergen
Donna Lane
Holly O’Connor-Hricko
Mary Grace Gerrity
John Langel Sr.
Carroll Osgood
Dmitra Gideon
Richard Latker
Timothy Overton
Edmundo Grab
Judith Lavia Jones
Elizabeth Parsons
Elena Grab
Silas Lee
Abdullah Pasha
Clara Graham
John Leete
Theodore Passon
Charles Grasty
Samantha Lew
Christine Paul
Donald Groff
Alan Lewandowski
Joanne Perri
John D. Grove
Heather Lewis
Joan Peters
Alan Gutwein-Guenther
Carolyn Lidston
Shirley Pfadt
Debra Hager
Timothy Liveright
Charles Picarella
Patricia Haight
William Lockard
Joseph Piette
Marie Hamilton
Kimberly Lolk
Margaret Platt
VOLUNTEERS Crystal Adams Fareed Ahmed Ricardo Alvarez Jay Aronson Steve Austin William Babcock YahNé Baker Flavia Barger Janis Barksdale Noah Barth Troy and Debbie Beam Margaret Beauchesne Will Bein Joseph Betz Jean Bickmire Laura Birdsall Jennifer Black Robert Blair Stephen Bloom David Bloom Rachel Bomysoad Eugene Breisch Shawnfatee Bridges Michael Brown Destiny Brown Esteem Brumfield Cornell Brunson Lauren Campbell Allen Carr Paulette Carrington Mazzie Casher Kristina Church Robert Cicchinelli
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I M PA C T R E P O RT 2 0 2 2-2 0 2 3
Charity Hughes, Senior Vice President, Talent Management, Sellers Dorsey
Joan Porter
Martha Williams
Donald Rathmann
Sarah Winch
Kathleen Rhodes
Elizabeth Wingfield
John Rose
Tabitha Winklebleck
April Rountree
Catherine Wise
John Rush
Stephen and Dana Wiser
Stephen Sands
Dana Wiser
Marianne Sawicki
Andrea Witmer
Phoebe Schellenberg
David Wolf
Alexandria Schuster
Howard Woodring
Ernest Scott Jr.
Kathy Yeatter
Elaine Selan
Philip Yevics
Laura Shaffer
David Young
Glenn Shaffer
Adrienne Young
Jon Singer
Thomas Zeager
Christine Small
Helen Zeager
Ken Smeltzer
Harold Zeager
Judy Smith Young
Roger Zepernick
COMMUNITY ADVISORY COUNCIL
Dorothy Speight
Derek Zimmerman
Jose Luis Alamo
Nancy Spooner
Chris Zweifel
Felicia Dusha
Lauren Strausser Charles Strickler, Jr. Andrea Striepen
James Nevels, Founder and Managing Partner of Unicorn Partners, LLC Simone Quinerly, CEO, Quinerly Financial Group LLC Matthew Ray, Chief Creative Officer, Chatterblast Fatima Sultan, Culture & Engagement Lead, Vanguard David Thornburgh, Chair, Ballot PA (project of the Committee of Seventy) Su Ming Yeh, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project
Richard Garland
Ashley Stauber Richard Stokes
Representative Emily Kinked, State Representative, 20th Legislative District (Allegheny County)
BOARD PRESIDENT Simeon Poles, Associate, DLA Piper LLP
Virgina Hammond Sandra Johnson Terri Minor Spencer Lisa Kessler-Peters
Patricia Stringer
VICE PRESIDENT
Adrian Perry
Matthew Stroud
Honorable Renée Cardwell Hughes, Retired Trial Judge, Court of Common Pleas
Pamela Superville
Joseph Sudano Keith Sultzbaugh Paul Swanger Richard Swiat John Swisher Phyllis Taylor Patricia Thomas Linda Thomas Henry Thurston-Griswold Lydia Trapp Magdalena Tsiongas Samantha Urbanick Michael Vail Sintora Vanderhorst Efigenia Vazquez Jenna Vella Beaufils Vladimir Neil Ward Maria Weick Ronni Weiss Michael West Kathryn Whiteley John Will
TREASURER Seth Williams, Senior Managing Consultant, Public Financial Management S E C R E TA R Y Steve Chanenson, Professor, Villanova Law School Senator Camera Bartolotta, State Senator, 46th Senatorial District (Beaver, Green, and Washington Counties) Dana Becker, Partner, Morgan Lewis Ashley Biden, MSW, Executive Director of the Women’s Wellness SPA(ce) Bradley Bridge, Retired Assistant Defender, Defender Association of Philadelphia. Stefanie Christmas, Global Head of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Inizio David Davis, Managing Director, Consulting Lead for PA and Talent & Organization Lead for North America’s Public Sector, Accenture
JoAnn Wyjadka
“For over two centuries, the Pennsylvania Prison Society has upheld the belief that health, safety, and dignity are human rights, not privileges reserved to those outside a prison’s walls. It has also long understood what I learned firsthand as a child: prison impacts the whole family, not just the person behind bars. So I’m honored and grateful to serve this organization and it’s constituents.” —SIMEON POLES, BOARD PRESIDENT
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Staff
Claire Shubik-Richards
Anton Andrew
Noah Barth
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
EDUCATION AND ADVOCACY FELLOW
PRISON MONITORING DIRECTOR
Emily Cheramie-Walz
Kirstin Cornnell
John Hargreaves
DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT
VOLUNTEER DIRECTOR
DIRECTOR
Matthew Githens
Anaïs Hussian
Rebecca Johnson
FINANCE AND OPERATIONS
PRISON MONITORING MANAGER
PRISON MONITORING MANAGER
MANAGER
( WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA)
(EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA)
Andy Peifer
Joseph Robinson
Kailyn Schneider
Lisa Garcia
FAMILY AND COMMUNITY
MENTORING ASSOCIATE
ADMINISTRATIVE
ADMINISTRATIVE AND
AND FAMILY SUPPORT
PRISON MONITORING
ASSOCIATE
ASSOCIATE
SUPPORTS MANAGER
CONSULTANT SUPPORT:
Jena Croxford, Sidney Evans, Aidan King, Joel Wolfram
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W H AT’ S AHEAD S AV E T H E D AT E !
Every action counts and we’re counting on you. TOGETHER WE CAN DO SO MUCH MORE.
Love Above Bars 2024 P H I L A D E L P H I A , PA
We are delighted to announce Love Above Bars will return to World Cafe Live next year! Mark your calendars for Wednesday, September 25, 2024 for another evening of transformative impact and camaraderie.
D O N A T E and take a stand for human
rights and just criminal laws. Your contribution helps us tell the truth boldly, hold power to account, and care for our fellow citizens.
V O L U N T E E R and join our work
inside and outside of prisons. We offer a range of opportunities to fit your interests and availability.
P A R T N E R with us. Join our team of
corporate partners to make an impact that is mutually beneficial to your company and the Prison Society.
L I K E us on Facebook and Linkedin
2021 ANNUAL REPORT
and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @ prisonsociety to stay up to date with our latest news, photos, and videos.
S U B S C R I B E to our weekly
Supporter Updates with timely original reporting on the week’s hottest issues.
F O R M O R E W AY S T O G E T I N V O LV E D , E M A I L U S AT C O N N E C T @ P R I S O N S O C I E T Y. O R G O R C A L L U S AT 2 1 5 - 5 6 4 - 4 7 7 5 .
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