The Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board considered new uniforms for those incarcerated at the facility during a meeting Thursday night that was characterized by simmering tensions and general dysfunction.
County Councilor Bethany Hallam introduced a motion that would open discussions with jail administration about updating the dress code, pending a budgetary allocation from council.
Incarcerated people currently wear color-coded jail uniforms; adults wear red jumpsuits, kids wear tan, and those with jobs in the facility wear orange.
Katie Pheto, a designer who spoke in favor of the change during public comments, cited a U.S. Department of Justice study which found that the color causes a “significantly greater” nervous system response.
“From a color theory perspective, red should never be used in a uniform or in large amounts anywhere in a prison or a jail,” Pheto said. “The DOJ report even recommends red not be used due to its causing increase in heart rate, intense emotion and heightened tensions for all individuals in the jail.”
One Hood Media advocacy, policy and civic engagement coordinator Muhammad Ali Nasir said there’s a stigma associated with the current uniforms.
“The county reds have become a mark of shame and a symbol of violence synonymous with humiliation and degradation, furthering the punishment in a psychological way,” he said, adding that a change in color could “be a small yet important nudge towards normality that reminds all of us of the people’s humanity.”
Hallam said the change could be the start of a culture shift at the jail. Corrections officers and health care staff have alleged a “toxic” work environment at the chronically understaffed facility, which advocates worry is affecting those incarcerated there.
But the board’s own culture could affect the implementation. Long-simmering tensions and dysfunction on the board seemingly came to a head at the meeting, leaving it unclear whether the motion passed or failed or could even be enacted.
After more than 40 minutes of discussion and amendments to the motion, Hallam, Terri Klein and County Controller Corey O’Connor voted in favor. Judge Elliot Howsie, Sheriff Kevin Kraus and senior deputy county manager Steve Pilarski voted against it. Gayle Moss abstained, and two other board members were absent.
Kraus and Moss said that while they could support changing the color of the uniforms, they felt they didn’t have enough information to vote for the motion Thursday.
Hallam and Howsie, who are often at odds, disagreed about the outcome of the vote and which members of the board are technically allowed to vote.
Howsie cited a subsection of the state law that created the board, which requires all actions to be approved by “a majority of all the members of the board.” He said the motion would fail to pass using that rule. However, the section seemingly applies to Boards of Inspectors in third, fourth and fifth class counties. As a second class county, Allegheny would likely not be bound by that section of the code.
Meanwhile, Hallam discounted the vote of Pilarski — who serves as a surrogate for County Executive Rich Fitzgerald — arguing he doesn’t have voting power. In addition, Hallam claimed that because the board doesn’t have established bylaws, a simple majority would be enough to pass the motion.
(Pilarski has abstained from some oversight board votes in the past. Hallam is currently suing Fitzgerald and two other county officials, demanding that they attend oversight board meetings in person rather than sending a surrogate. She says the practice violates the state law that created the board.)
Howsie questioned the board’s authority to weigh in on jail uniforms and asked whether they were a good use of county funds.
Deputy warden Blythe Toma estimated that replacing the jumpsuits could cost anywhere from $300,000 to $1 million.
“No one has spoken with the jail, so how do we even know if it works for them, if it makes sense for them?” Howsie asked. “We don’t know what it costs, we don’t know if the jail is in agreement. Maybe it does make sense. But shouldn’t there be some more research done and some more conversation regarding the issue?”
Board members chose to adjourn the meeting before Hallam could introduce a similar motion to change the uniforms for corrections officers at the jail.
Thursday’s meeting was the first with acting Warden Shane Dady present. Dady, a deputy superintendent with the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, assumed the role when former warden Orlando Harper retired at the end of September.
When asked to weigh in on the proposed uniform change before the vote, Dady said he’s open to a conversation about “anything.”
The board is scheduled to meet again in November.
