Title
Authorizing the Committee on Legislative Oversight to hold a hearing concerning the deaths of individuals incarcerated in Philadelphia correctional facilities in recent weeks, including Amanda Cahill, Michael McKinnis, and Joseph Gabor, and evaluating the changes that are needed to prevent further tragedies.
Body
WHEREAS, The City of Philadelphia has reduced spending on harm reduction strategies and pivoted toward an incarceration-based response to substance use despite decades of public health evidence demonstrating the increased mortality resulting from carceral responses to substance use; and
WHEREAS, Amanda Cahill died while incarcerated in a Philadelphia jail on September 7 in an intake unit designed to assess and screen for medical needs. She was arrested on September 4 in Kensington, a few days prior, one of 34 people swept up by law enforcement and incarcerated as she did not have a home and was addicted to opioids. She leaves behind a family including two young children; and
WHEREAS, A week after Amanda died while in custody, Michael McKinnis died in custody under similar circumstances - he was still in an intake unit for medical screening when he died while incarcerated on September 14. And similarly to Amanda's case, Michael was found unresponsive in the morning, with evidence showing that no officers were assigned to Michael's unit - nobody could hear his cries for help. He leaves behind a family including a 21 year old son; and
WHEREAS, In both instances, other people who are incarcerated repeatedly called for help for Amanda and Michael, and yet no help was received; and
WHEREAS, Last week, Joseph Gabor passed away in jail after being arrested in Kensington. He was arraigned at 2:30 pm on Thursday, and died in his holding cell seven hours later near drug paraphernalia - even though he was supposed to have been transferred by 5:00 pm, even though a corrections officer was supposed to check on him every 15 minutes, and even though there a...
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