The Philadelphia Department of Prisons is reporting significant strides in staffing and retention, marking a notable turn around since April of 2024. The department has welcomed 230 new hires, which includes 58 recruits currently undergoing training—lauded as the most sizable cadet class in over a decade. "I am excited to share that our retention and attrition rates are moving in positive directions," Commissioner Michael Resnick, Esq. said in a statement released by the City of Philadelphia's website. Resnick, noting the PDP lost only 56 officers for a net gain of 174, also pointed to the current fiscal year's record-low attrition rate of 2 percent.
With the appointment of Commissioner Resnick by Mayor Cherelle L. Parker, the PDP has seen new initiatives aimed at bolstering the ranks of the City's correctional officers and keeping them in the fold. Recognized as the right choice for a department in critical need of transformation, Resnick has brought in new recruitment strategies that are, according to Mayor Parker, indicative of his effective leadership. Having appointed a recruitment coordinator and hired the Whalls Group—a recruiting firm specializing in correctional recruitment—the department is now employing methods that resonate with a more targeted selection of candidate hopefuls.
In a move to keep pace with the growth in staff, the PDP relocated its Training Academy to a new, state-of-the-art facility on State Road, which allows the department to accommodate the burgeoning classes. In tandem with infrastructure improvements, Philadelphia's Department of Prisons has launched a mentor program designed to aid recruits in adjusting to their roles, signaling an intensified effort to provide a supportive environment for staff.
March ushers in the unveiling of an employee-exclusive high-quality health and wellness fitness center as part of the PDP's drive to prioritize employee experience. Outfitted with hundreds of pieces of equipment and cardio machines, the center aims to bolster the staff's physical fitness. Employees at the PDP, striving for fitness goals, can now enjoy an array of opportunities for their personal wellness, touted at last month's cadet graduation by Commissioner Resnick. This simultaneous growth in staffing numbers and the expansion of wellness services accompanies the PDP's 22-percent decrease in inmate population, now at the historic low of 3,855 as compared to last summer.
With fewer inmates behind bars, the department records increased opportunities for recreation time and programming. This also translates to better and more effective delivery of services, including a significant reduction in medical backlogs. These changes, as per department reports, are all ambits of a forward-moving strategy to redefine the prison environment and improve the quality of life for both staff and inmates within the Philadelphia prison system.
