Mayor Cherelle Parker announced the appointment of a new Philadelphia Prisons Commissioner. On Monday, Parker named Michael Resnick as her choice to lead the Philadelphia prison system.
“After conducting a nationwide search and consulting with subject-matter experts on corrections and public safety, I believe we have found and appointed exactly who we need to lead our prison system into a new era of safety and stability – Michael Resnick,” Parker said. “Michael Resnick brings a wealth of experience in criminal justice and public safety to his new role as the Parker Administration’s Prison Commissioner. He cares, and he is a manager who respects employees. We have challenges facing our correctional system, as do many other cities across our country. I believe Michael Resnick is the right choice to help us meet those challenges.”
Prior to the appointment, Resnick, 58, spent more than two decades working in public safety and criminal justice in both Philadelphia and Maryland. He was the Acting Philadelphia Prisons Commissioner in 2016 and was also the Commissioner of Pretrial Detention and Services in Maryland’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services – a role in which he oversaw jails in Baltimore.
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Resnick also served as Philadelphia’s Director of Public Safety from 2011 to 2015 in which he oversaw police, fire, prisons, the Office of Emergency Management and other public safety entities. Resnick was also the Chief of Staff to the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Chief of Staff and Director of Legal Affairs to the Philadelphia Prison System.
“I’m honored by the opportunity to return to public service in Philadelphia and serve Mayor Parker and her administration,” Resnick said. “I am cognizant of the issues facing the Department, and the challenges that lie ahead. But I think everyone needs to remember that every day, brave men and women are hard at work in our jails, performing a difficult job helping to keep our city safe. I look forward to joining them and improving their working conditions and the conditions of the incarcerated people in our custody.”
The appointment comes two weeks after former Philadelphia Prisons Commissioner Blanche Carney announced her retirement.
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During her tenure as commissioner, multiple escapes occurred at prisons throughout the city and Carney had to deal with an ongoing staffing shortage. During a public safety hearing in November, Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner detailed several security issues in Philadelphia’s prison systems that began years before Carney took over.
Following the escape of two inmates last year, David Robinson, the president of Local 159 of AFSCME District Council 33 – the union representing Philadelphia correctional officers – called for Carney to resign and his union held a vote of no confidence.
In a statement, Parker said that Carney should be commended for her long career of public service in Philadelphia and for leading the City’s prison system under “times of great stress and duress.”
“Our prison system is in transition,” Parker said. “As are many prisons nationwide. My Administration is committed to making every change needed to implement a well-run prison system.”
