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Overview

In 2019, Berks County Commissioners began considering a multi-year construction project for a 1,277-bed facility that would expand the county’s jail detention capacity and be the most expensive infrastructure project in the county’s history. In 2023, partially due to public pressure, the commissioners paused this project to find solutions for jail population reduction.

This report, a collaboration between two local community groups—Building Justice in Berks and The Real Deal 610—and the Vera Institute of Justice, responds to this debate about the jail by highlighting stories from 121 local people who have been impacted by incarceration alongside official jail administrative data. The stories and numbers show that current practices and policies in Berks incarcerate people for unusually long lengths of time and often on low-level charges, with no clear public safety benefit. This report provides insights into how Berks County might achieve meaningful reductions in jail detention while investing in services that support people who have had system contact and promoting safety for all.

Key Takeaway

Berks County government leaders, who have paused the new jail project, have a rare opportunity to make transformative decisions about how the county invests its resources in public safety. This is a critical juncture to invest in services that meet residents’ basic needs and explore policy changes that are likely to generate better outcomes than expanding jail detention.

Publication Highlights

The overuse of the current jail comes at a great cost to the county budget, the well-being of residents, and the economic vitality of Berks County.
Berks County jail detains some people for unusually long lengths of time and detains many people on low-level charges for which there are more effective and safer responses than jail.
Current practices and policies in Berks are putting too many people in jail and holding people there for too long without a clear public safety benefit.

Key Facts

Jail operations in Berks County account for 22 percent of its budget, a higher proportion than many other counties across the country.

Holding a person in jail costs approximately $150 per person per day, or $54,000 annually, in the county.

In 2023, Black men made up 24.1 percent of the jail population, while being only 4.5 percent of county residents.

In 2022, Latino/a people made up 42 percent of the jail population, while being only 24 percent of county residents.