For information on inmates at this facility, contact Community Justice & Outreach at:  (215) 685-8995 or (215) 685-7711.

The original House of Correction, which opened in 1874, was razed in 1925, and the same materials were used to construct, on the original site, a "new" House of Correction, which opened in 1927.

Planned to incarcerate misdemeanants, the House of Correction was built without perimeter walls and without observation towers.  The design of the facility is based on the "wheel-and-spoke" design first seen with the construction of Eastern State Penitentiary in 1829.  A central rotunda provides access to six two-tiered cellblocks, which radiate from the rotunda like spokes from a wheel and also provides access to an additional two-tiered cellblock (G-Wing).  The cellblocks contain a total of 663 cells, most housing two inmates.

Today, the House of Correction confines mostly adult males and certified juveniles in segregated areas of the House of Correction and the Alternative and Special Detention Division.  Juveniles are separated by sight and sound from the adult population until they reach the age of majority (18), at which time they are transferred into the general population.

Inmates under 18 who are housed at the House of Correction are required to participate in the Pennypack School House Program.  In addition to schooling we offer various elective activities such as Anger Management, Mural Arts, Religious Studies, Creative Writing and Group Therapy. Pennypack high school programs include tutoring, religious study, writing as well as drama and chess clubs.  

The House of Correction is undergoing a multimillion renovation project, which will include improvements to the facility's electrical system and lighting as well as installation of new windows, a temperature control system, an exhaust system, central laundry facilities and sinks and repair of all doors, gates, and door locks.  These renovations will improve operational, security, health and safety conditions while extending the useful life of the 75-year-old facility.

A separate initiative planned for the future is construction of a $4.1 million, 30,000-square-foot multipurpose building on the House of Correction grounds to house central administrative and support functions of the PPS.