Jail Oversight Board

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The Allegheny County Jail Oversight Board is a statutory body whose responsibilities include the operation and maintenance of Allegheny County Jail and its alternative housing facilities, oversight of the health and safekeeping of its incarcerated residents, and the confirmation of the County Executive’s selection of a warden. The Board’s legal authority is outlined under 61 Pa. C.S. §§ 1721-28. The Board’s bylaws can be found here.

Members

The Board comprises both elected and non-elected members, including:

1. The County Chief Executive
2. Two judges of the Court of Common Pleas, one of whom is the President Judge or their designee who is also a judge, and one judge appointed by the President Judge
3. The County Sheriff
4. The County Controller
5. The President of County Council, or their designee
6. Three citizen members (who shall not be employees of Allegheny County or the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and appointed by the Chief Executive for a three-year term with consent from County Council)

As of January 2025, Board members include:

1. County Executive Sara Innamorato
2. President Judge Susan Evashavik DiLucente
3. Judge Kelly Bigley
4. Sheriff Kevin Kraus
5. Acting Controller Amy Weise Clements
6. Councilmember Bethany Hallam, designee of County Council President Pat Catena
7. Barbara Griffin, citizen member
8. Muhammad Ali Nasir (Man-E), citizen member
9. Rob Perkins, citizen member

Meetings

The Board is required to meet at least once per month, which has typically occurred on the first Thursday of every month pending scheduling or external conflicts. Meetings are open to the public and take place in the Gold Room (4th Floor) of the Allegheny County Courthouse (436 Grant Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15219).

Board meetings are streamed live via YouTube and recordings can also be accessed on the Jail Oversight Board channel here.

Public Comments

Public input is an essential part to each meeting, and members of the public may submit comments online prior to monthly Board meetings via the County Courts website here. Persons who wish to comment in-person at Board meetings may also register online using the same Courts link. Online registration opens seven days in advance of the meeting and closes 24 hours before the meeting. All comments submitted to the Board online or in-person are made part of the monthly meeting minutes that are provided below.

Community Resources

The Corrections Collective, a community-based advocacy group, has prepared the following resource guide listing supports for incarcerated individuals, their families, and communities challenged by the impacts of arrest and incarceration. This organization identifies problems and strategies for change by involving affected individuals, families, and communities and collaborating with community organizations, corrections leadership, and elected officials. It also provides education, consultation, and advocates for system change that serve the interests of a just society. For questions regarding this guide, the information included inside, or Corrections Collective, please contact Allison Haley-Lewis at ahaley.lewis@gmail.com.

Records and Information

The Controller’s Office endorses public access to records and documents regarding the Board and Allegheny County Jail. To access information such as audits, meeting minutes, reports and studies, and all other jail-related records, please see below.

Please note: Monthly meeting minutes are posted once they are voted on and approved by the Board (e.g., September’s meeting minutes will be posted after the Board approves them during the October meeting).

In addition, the warden’s monthly reports containing data and information from the month prior are presented at the proceeding board meeting (e.g., the warden’s report presented during September’s meeting reflects data from August).

Jail Oversight Board Right to Know Requests

At the July 3, 2025 Jail Oversight Board meeting, the Board voted unanimously to designate the Controller’s Office the Open Records Officer for the Jail Oversight Board.

The Jail Oversight Board has chosen to use the Standard Request Form promulgated by the Pennsylvania Open Records Office. This form may be downloaded from the website of the Pennsylvania Office of Open Records. Please email your completed written Right To Know Request form with your contact information to jobrtk@alleghenycontroller.com

A written request for access to a public record shall be submitted on the required form(s) and addressed to the Open Records Officer.

Written Requests made in accordance with this policy may be submitted to in person, by mail or to the designated email address and must include the following information:

1. Identification or description of the requested record, in sufficient detail to allow the Board to determine what records are being requested.
2. Medium in which the record is requested.
3. Name and address of the individual to receive the Board’s response.

The Board shall deny anonymous requests for records. A request may be considered anonymous if the requester has submitted insufficient information for the Board to identify if the requester is a legal resident of the United States.

Incarcerated Individuals Welfare Fund

In response to discussions of the Jail Oversight Board (JOB) and questions from the families of individuals in the County Jail and the public, my office has conducted a review of the Incarcerated Individuals Welfare Fund (IIWF). The IIWF supports individuals housed in the Jail through a portion of the proceeds of commissary and tablet purchases. A report detailing the IIWF’s financial standing and recommending guidelines for its future use can be found below and will be presented to the JOB for consideration. Most crucially, we must continuously solicit the input of incarcerated people and their families on what has proven to be beneficial.

JOB Subcommittees

Community members interested in applying to participate on a JOB subcommittee may apply here.