Portrait of a Prison
It had already been raining for hours as we pulled through the long drive up to the prison. The grass had become swampy and the concrete was coated in a silvery reflection of the world around it. The towering, dark walls of the old prison in my rear-view mirror provided a stark contrast to SCI Phoenix's light frame in front of us.
A writer from Billy Penn and I arrived in Collegeville, Pa. as part of a media tour to see the new state-of-the-art prison, SCI Phoenix, an hour outside of Philadelphia. The new complex was built to replace the aging Graterford Prison, which saw its population reach as high as 130 percent capacity over the last ten years. Originally slated to open by the end of 2015, a number of setbacks delayed it's progress through 2018. The new facility was designed to improve the quality of life of inmates through better infrastructure, additional programs and increased safety precautions.
Still, it's striking to walk through its empty halls, knowing that this will be the destination for thousands of inmates for years to come. I saw where guards will oversee their charges and where people of different faiths will come to pray. I walked through the tight spaces where some will find their only time outdoors and the loading docks where others will find work. At the end of the day, I was still able to go home.
This is a portrait of a prison.
