The PA DOC Monitor

By Jean L. Dell’ Aquila & Moniem A. El-Ganayni

The word rehabilitation is seldom mentioned in current prison jargon. While a few states hold onto the phrase, “Department of Rehabilitation” most have opted for “Department of Corrections” instead. This change is not coincidental. It reflects an attitude change, where the idea of rehabilitating criminals has been dismissed in favor of merely correcting them. Men and women are not merely machines that can be repaired by flicking a switch, or rerouting a wire; they require more than a systematic program of discipline and structure.

The following information was obtained from the PA DOC's Monthly Institutional Profile and is current as of December 31, 2006.   The complete document in PDF form can be viewed here .

Maximum Capacity:
38,547 (over capacity by 14.9%)

If one ever has the misfortune of entering a correctional facility, he or she will soon learn that freedom of expression or right to protest is merely an illusion. Yes, one can pick up a pen and pad and write their grievances to the appropriate individuals; yes, one can open his or her mouth and voice their displeasure, but at what cost?

On July 13, 2007 Nancy Jean Calder was found dead in her cell at Muncy State Correctional Institution.   The PA DOC Monitor has received reports that Calder requested mental health treatment prior to her death, stating that she was hearing voices.   Despite her needs, and established history of mental illness, Calder was denied adequate treatment by prison staff.   Perhaps that as because, as one article states :

If one seriously examines both the American prison and military systems, he or she should immediately notice similarities, as well as some differences. The two systems share an operational strategy: hierarchical structure and security, both implemented through command and control, oftentimes in the form of discipline and force. Yet, while the American military has remained generally successful for years, American prisons fall into deeper turmoil each year, despite billions of dollars in funding and brand-new, state-of-the art correctional facilities.

Elsner, Alan. Gates of Injustice: The Crisis in America's Prisons. Saddler River: Pearson Education Inc., 2006. In this new edition, updated after the Abu Ghraib scandal, Elsner uses a conversational tone in recounting the aspects of day-to-day life for American inmates: drug and alcohol abuse, rampant disease, rape, murder and racism.