PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The union representing the city’s correctional officers, in a special meeting on Wednesday, voted “no confidence” in the prisons commissioner. The union is calling on Mayor Jim Kenney to remove Commissioner Blanche Carney, who has led the Department of Prisons for about seven years.
“Under her leadership, it's been nothing but disarray,” said AFSCME Local 159 President David Robinson. "Morale is at an all time low. Staff levels are down. Incarcerated persons are even in danger."
At a press conference on Wednesday, Robinson said the union wants to see change behind the walls.
“There's no safety. There's no one taking initiative to say, ‘Hey, let's get this back in order.' That's why I say we need new leadership. We need a fresh eye,” Robinson said.
“I've been here for 17 years, and I've seen a happy place. Now I see a place I don't even recognize anymore.”
Robinson said the vote was unanimous among the union members who attended the emergency meeting — although it’s unclear how many members voted. He says most staff who work inside the city’s prisons are union members.
The vote is symbolic and compels no action, but he cited ongoing challenges the hundreds of union members have had to deal with inside the city’s four correctional facilities.
“We're tired. We're just ready to just make a new move. We have to do change. We have to have change within the city of Philadelphia.”
A city spokesperson said Philadelphia officials have been working with her to address workers’ concerns — and that Carney has support and confidence from the administration.
The statement from the city reads as follows:
The Administration and Commissioner Carney have been working diligently to address the staffing and facilities challenges outlined by corrections officers as areas of concern.
The Mayor’s proposed budget includes millions of dollars in capital funds to address facility needs, and the Department is already implementing several staffing solutions including a 12-hour shift initiative, attendance incentives, and a significant recruitment campaign. In the fiscal year that begins in July, the Department will hire DEI and wellness coordinators to enhance staff development, retention and wellness, and continue to work with Human Resources to fill vacancies.
The City’s efforts regarding compliance with the Remick Settlement Agreement are detailed in the public reports filed by the Federal Monitor appointed by the court to that case. The City remains committed to achieving full compliance of the terms of the Agreement and is transparent in reporting our progress.
We appreciate the concerns raised by staff and continue to work with Commissioner Carney, who has the Administration’s support and confidence, on our shared goal of ensuring good working conditions as well as safe, clean, humane environments for incarcerated people.
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Correction: a previous version of this story said that Commissioner Carney had not returned KYW's request for comment but a statement used in the article was from both Carney and the mayor.