Summary
The FY07 City Budget Behind Bars report analyzes how the growing prison population is placing a disproportionate burden on Philadelphia’s budget. The report finds that expenditures on correctional facilities have increased significantly while limiting funding for other essential services. It examines the factors driving costs, including pretrial detention policies, sentencing laws, and correctional facility maintenance. Policy recommendations include bail reform, investment in diversion programs, and improved rehabilitation services to reduce incarceration rates and associated costs.