FAQs

How can the Center be closed?

Governor Wolf can work with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (PaDHS) to close the facility by issuing an Emergency Removal Order (ERO). This is the mechanism the state can use to close a facility when there is evidence of neglect or abuse. This is an action the state has used in the past; the State is, in fact, required by Pennsylvania law to issue an ERO when there is evidence of abuse. The evidence of abuse and neglect at BCRC is overwhelming, although the state denies that it rises to the level that would warrant issuing an ERO. What can’t be denied is that the mere act of incarcerating children and families is abusive as well illegal. Groups like the American Pediatric Society, the Association of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the International Detention Coalition, have done extensive research, and have concluded that even a short period in detention, for a child, has long-lasting mental and physical health effects. 

What would happen to the facility if it were closed as a detention center?

Originally a senior citizens home, over the years the facility has been used for various functions. In 2018 Indivisible Berks con- ducted a short survey, asking residents of Berks County what they would like to see the facility used for. The consensus of those who completed the survey cited the opioid abuse crisis in Berks County, and recommended that the facility be used as a drug treatment center, which the state of Pennsylvania has means to do. In December of 2018, Wolf accepted a $10 million grant from Michael Bloomberg to use on fighting the opioid addiction epidemic. In addition, Governor Wolf has made the elimination of opioid abuse in Pennsylvania a major priority of his administration. After issuing an ERO to stop the use of the facility as a prison the Governor should convert the center into a drug treatment facility therefore providing local jobs and much needed human services to the surrounding community. FAQs provided by Shut Down Berks Coalition. 

What would happen to the families if the center is closed?

Since the center opened in 2014, families who have been detained there have been released into the community to either relatives or a sponsor. The detainees at the center are overwhelmingly asylum seekers. Official U.S. policy is to release asylum seekers to family members or community sponsors in the United States, while they go through the asylum process, after they pass an initial credible fear interview.

How many families are detained at BCRC?

The center has the capacity to hold ninety-six people. For most of its history, it has been filled to capacity, or near capacity—usually thirty families or so at any given time.

What can I do?

Use our #ShutDownBerks toolkit to tell Governor Wolf  to issue an emergency removal order and convert the prison into a drug treatment facility:

Where can I find more information to educate myself on the impact of BCRC?

Click here to read the report from Temple University Law School’s Sheller Center for Social Justice, which explains how Governor Wolf can issue an emergency removal order and shut down the center once and for all.