The Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project (PILP) filed a lawsuit on behalf of Miranda Barbour due to a horrifying pattern of relentless sexual assault, harassment, and stalking against her by a parole agent Kenneth Jones, while Ms. Barbour was incarcerated at the State Correctional Institution at Muncy (“SCI Muncy”). The lawsuit also details numerous times where security and other staff at SCI Muncy failed to intervene or take action to protect Ms. Barbour from the sexual abuse.   

The Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project (PILP) announced today that a recent important victory and agreement with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) will significantly improve religious meal accommodations for incarcerated Muslims at a Pennsylvania state prison, in time for Eid-al-Fitr at the end of this month.  Incarcerated people of multiple religions across the state will also be able to meaningfully observe their religion by having access to essential religious meal accommodations for future religious holidays.

A man with Huntington’s Disease has filed a civil rights lawsuit in federal court, accusing the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PA DOC) of discriminating against him and ignoring his disabilities, leaving him unable to reliably communicate with staff and other incarcerated people.

Wellpath is the company that provides medical care to people incarcerated in the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (DOC) and a few county jails in Pennsylvania.  Jails and prisons have a legal obligation to provide adequate medical care to people in their custody. This is based on the U.S. Constitution and state law.  Jails and prison are allowed to contract with a private company to provide this medical care, but the private company must still meet legal standards.

The agreement reached in Howard v. Williams, a class action lawsuit on behalf of people with psychiatric disabilities incarcerated in Allegheny County Jail (ACJ), has been finalized.

Plaintiffs in a class action lawsuit against the Philadelphia Department of Prisons (PDP) filed a motion for contempt for the jails’ failures to comply with a Court-monitored Settlement Agreement – failures that have led to “profound” trauma and suffering for those incarcerated in the Philadelphia jails. Calling for immediate resolution for longstanding issues, the motion also demands that daily fines be imposed, which ultimately would be distributed directly to individuals incarcerated in the Philadelphia Department of Prisons. 

An agreement has been reached in Howard v. Williams, a class action lawsuit on behalf of people with psychiatric disabilities incarcerated in Allegheny County Jail (ACJ).

The Pennsylvania Institutional Law Project (PILP) sent an advocacy letter on behalf of its client, Ethan Shaw, who is currently incarcerated at SCI Houtzdale.