Berks County officials close reentry center prior to federal trial
November 10, 2019 | The Reading Eagle | Karen Shuey
A federal trial is set to begin Tuesday over a lawsuit alleging that women assigned trustee status were treated differently than men who were housed at the facility.
Facing a federal trial set to begin Tuesday over whom should be housed at the Berks County Community Reentry Center, county officials have decided to shut down the facility.
The case centers around a lawsuit filed by former inmates Theresa Victory and Alice Velazquez-Diaz alleging that women assigned trustee status are treated differently than men housed at the CRC who hold the same status. The action aimed to provide female trustee inmates at Berks County Prison the same freedoms and opportunities given to their male counterparts.
Now, neither men nor women will have access to the CRC.
In a notice filed in the Eastern District Court of Pennsylvania on Friday, county officials revealed that the CRC is no longer a housing unit holding inmates. It stated that all inmates — male and female — are incarcerated at the Berks County Prison.
While the filing will have no impact on the lawsuit, it may settle the dispute over what the county should do to ensure that future female inmates are given access to the same services and programs available to men.