FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Contacts:

Building Justice in Berks: janesan@comcast.net

The Real Deal 610: lovedons2@gmail.com

Vera Institute of Justice: media@vera.org

READING, PA —Yesterday, two Berks County nonprofit organizations—Building Justice in Berks and The Real Deal 610—released a comprehensive report detailing the experiences of people detained in Berks County jail and an analysis of the jail’s current population. The report, Wasted Resources: The True Cost of Jail Detention in Berks and a Vision for Public Safety, was produced in partnership with the Vera Institute of Justice, a national criminal justice organization whose Beyond Jails initiative has also supported community-led efforts across Pennsylvania in Delaware, Lancaster, and Montgomery Counties.

Despite a reduction in the jail population over the past two decades, analysis of data provided by the Berks County jail and federal sources allowed researchers to identify areas in which the current population remains inflated due to practices and policies that are not necessary for public safety and come at great cost to taxpayers. For example, nearly a quarter of all bookings in 2023 were for minor misdemeanor charges. That year, around 100 people were booked on charges of nonpayment of child support, an action that only weakens the likelihood that their children would receive those payments. People are also unnecessarily held much longer in Berks County jail compared to other county jails.

“When the county took the right step to pause its consideration of how to build a bigger jail in order to listen to the community and identify alternatives, our organizations decided not to wait around and put the onus on the county to come up with all the solutions,” said Crystal Kowalski, lead organizer of Building Justice in Berks. “This report is a symbol of us coming to the table with data and next steps. It’s a commitment to be part of the solution and to bring other voices along with us.”

Unique in its approach, the report includes both data analysis and the voices of those directly impacted by incarceration in Berks County through conversations with formerly incarcerated people, documented as part of the “Walk With Us” listening tour. The experiences shared and the needs raised underlie the report.

“The current jail is too often used as the default tool—rather than as an expensive option of last resort—to address complex social issues such as poverty, homelessness, and substance use,” said Jennifer Peirce, associate director of research for Vera’s Beyond Jails initiative. “There are evidence-backed solutions for communities to enhance safety and justice while reducing jail populations. Berks County is well-positioned to be a leader in Pennsylvania.”

The report is a call to action. Containing recommendations for county officials, local law enforcement, judges, prosecutors, and service providers, it is meant to provide a holistic, effective, and affordable vision for public safety. More importantly, it stands as a commitment from the community to work together with the government to address the needs of the county and asks its leaders to invite them into the process.

“What we see starkly in the data and also hear from government stakeholders is that the jail alone cannot prevent people from entering who do not need to be there. Many decisions made across multiple agencies and entities all coalesce to give us what we see," said Seleda Simmons, founder and executive director of The Real Deal 610. “Our elected officials and county agencies have the power to make real changes so that fewer people end up in jail and we are calling on them to step up and take action.”

Building Justice in Berks, The Real Deal 610, and their supporters now call on county stakeholders to come together to commit to and implement policy changes and investments identified in the report. And they call for community members to join them in advocating for these changes by making their voices heard.

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