After numerous stories of inadequate healthcare from people held in Allegheny County Jail, as well as reports from the nursing and medical staff employed there who were unable to treat and care for inmates due to low staffing and insufficient supplies, the Human Rights Coalition, Abolitionist Law Center, PA Institutional Law Project, United Steelworkers, We Change Pittsburgh, and other groups in the Pittsburgh area launched the Allegheny County Jail Health Justice Project on February 5th, 2015.
Mission Statement:
The Allegheny County Jail Health Justice Project seeks to ensure that members of our community incarcerated at Allegheny County Jail receive comprehensive health care. Prisons and jails across the country have become warehouses for the most vulnerable members of our community and they are woefully unprepared. Inmates at ACJ in particular are suffering dire health consequences due to unconstitutionally inadequate care caused by Corizon Health's poor management and cost cutting measures, including insufficient medical supplies and understaffing. This is a human rights crisis that affects every aspect of our community. This campaign will pressure the County to provide all inmates in the jail with timely and comprehensive health care through advocacy, community outreach, investigation and potential litigation.
Upcoming Events:
Join us Thursday, February 5th for a vigil for Frank Smart, who lost his life in Allegheny County Jail exactly one month ago after not being provided with his prescribed anti-seizure medication. More information is available in the announcement of the vigil.
Contact Us:
Press Coverage:
- Advocates Launch Allegheny County Jail Health Justice Project (90.5FM WESA, Pittsburgh's NPR Station, February 5, 2015)
- Citizens group forms to oversee medical care at Allegheny County Jail (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 5, 2015)
- Jail Infirmary Workers Raise Alarm on Unsafe Staffing (Labor Notes, February 2, 2015)
- Two inmate deaths raise questions on Allegheny County Jail health care contractor (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 9, 2015)
- Corizon’s failures: Mounting evidence shows lousy care at Allegheny County jail (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 26, 2014)
- ACLU concerned about medical care at Allegheny County Jail (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 23, 2014)
- ACLU-PA Calls on Allegheny County to Fix Unconstitutional and Dangerous Deficiencies in Jail’s Health Care Services (ACLU-PA, December 22, 2014)
- Auditor slams inmate health care provided by Corizon at Allegheny County Jail (Pittsburgh Business Times, December 22, 2014)
- Inmates complain about lack of medical care at Allegheny County Jail (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 16, 2014)
- Allegheny County Jail deaths remain above normal (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, December 16, 2014)
- Health Care Workers at Allegheny County Jail Rally for Safe Staffing (United Steelworkers, September 4, 2014)
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