Just one week after fed up inmates almost overtook George W. Hill Correctional Facility in September 2019, guards were dancing to the demise of the scandal ridden mega-for-profit private prison company, an exclusive video obtained by yc.news reveals.
“This paints a serious picture of what goes on there, even if it is a few seconds: it takes just one for the place to erupt,” a source close to the situation revealed. “The guards aren’t really at fault. They gave up weeks ago – that’s obvious. They know the place is beyond repair at this point because of how poorly managed it is.”
In what eerily resembles the hit Netflix series Orange Is the New Black, guards appear to have put their foot down and push back to the cruel conditions by fending for themselves. What’s more, two well-placed sources who work at the facility said guards would “absolutely cooperate” if asked about The GEO Group, claiming their testimony could “bankrupt them.”
“Guards want to leave this scandal behind them. They have no interest in the torturous conditions The GEO Group puts them through. Now, guards and inmates are going to take GEO to the cleaners and enjoy what time they have left, after living through that.”
The source, who claims prisoners nearly overtook the prison in October during a mini-riot, could “in an instant gain complete control of the grounds.”
“This place has become a free for all. Guards know GEO is under fire, and they’re glad. It’s about time. But, they realize that they will become the scapegoat when stuff hits the fan – so they’re all squealing left and right.”
“I’ve been there almost 20 years and it was the worst experience I’ve ever seen in my life working at Delaware County prison,” a guard told The Delaware County Daily Times. “It was horrible. It was unsafe.”
“This was just the beginning,” the source told the local paper. “Now they’re prepared. They tested us and now they’re going to do it again, because they know we’re short staffed. I’ve been there long enough and I’ve seen enough to know that will happen. A CO is going to die.”
We were first to report that five women were rushed to local hospitals on Christmas following a mass-overdose, with at least three others sent on Christmas Eve. Sources close to the investigation previously told yc.news the women overdosed on fentanyl, not heroin, as widely reported by local media outlets. However, the prison refused to provide any comment whatsoever to yc.news – and friends, family and former teachers of Fatima Musa, 27, who died while in custody over the holiday, say the Chester native might’ve unwittingly smoked a laced cigarette or marijuana, but vehemently deny any history of heroin use.
Just today, The GEO Group announced several open positions, including correctional officers, which they hire same-day, one source close to the situation said.
The positions that opened up include officers, a K-9 Lieutenant, re-entry coordinator, case manager, and after the prison went viral last week — they’re seeking an HR specialist.
The merciless prison is owned by Community Education Centers, which was acquired by The GEO Group – a Florida-based company that specializes in privatized corrections, detention, and mental health treatment.
Sources told yc.news 69-year-old George Christopher Zoley – who owns the mega-corporation that purchased the prison, is expected to personally visit the grounds as soon as next week.
“George isn’t someone who visits the prison grounds unless there’s a ribbon cutting or something,” a second person stuck in the sticky situation revealed. “George is a powerful man — he won’t let some locals turn his prison into a circus slumber party.”
“From what I know, he wants to work with the new administration on what he can do make mends for the slop left behind from the local Republican patriarch — John Reilly, Jr.”
But others close to the situation say executives are scrambling around trying to figure out how to contain the situation, despite it blowing out of their control.
“GEO is trying to put on a fearless face, but the real nightmare has only just begun,” reveals an insider. “They are completely delusional and believe that this is a temporary glitch, but advisors are telling them now is a good time for them to ‘get their affairs in order,’ which is code for ‘prepare to lock the prison down for the last time.'”
The tone for incoming district attorney Stollsteimer’s first few months in office is set before even crossing the courthouse threshold.
“Stollsteimer is upsetting the apple cart, taking on the establishment and a lot of people are angry and have a lot to lose. You’re seeing that play out in rolling resignations,” an insider at the Delaware County Public Defender’s Office previously told us. “The outgoing administration littered the district attorney’s office with conservative ideologues, saboteurs and spies.”
Reilly, a staunch Republican, stepped down in Nov. 2019 following a bombshell investigation released by The Philadelphia Inquirer, outlining a pattern of alleged racism swept under the carpet behind the fortified prison walls.
We were first to report that the overcrowded conditions at the private prison led to the sexual assault of a female inmate sometime in mid-December after guards were told to bring female and male inmates together briefly when they reached an overwhelming number of inmates.
Additional Reporting By: Brittany McGeever and Jonathan Lee Riches.
This is an ongoing investigative special. Stay with yc.news for the latest updates. Have a story or news tip? Contact our 24/7 newsroom at 833.336.8013 or e-mail our tip line: [email protected]