Mayor Appoints Experienced Public Safety & Criminal Justice Professional to Head Philadelphia Prison System
PHILADELPHIA – Today, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker announced the appointment of Michael R. Resnick, Esq. as her choice to be the next Commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Prison (PDP), an important public safety decision for the Parker Administration.
Resnick, 58, has spent over two decades working in a variety of public safety and criminal justice system positions for the City of Philadelphia and the State of Maryland. In 2016, he served as Acting Philadelphia Prisons Commissioner, including during a period when the City received a MacArthur Foundation grant to implement reforms to ease prison overcrowding. Resnick also served the State of Maryland as Commissioner of Pretrial Detention and Services in the state’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, where he was responsible for overseeing the Baltimore City jails.
Prior to his service as Acting Philadelphia Prisons Commissioner, Resnick served as the City’s Director of Public Safety for five years (2011 to 2015), overseeing Police, Fire, Prisons, the Office of Emergency Management, and other public safety entities. In other public safety positions, Resnick served as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Mayor for Public Safety, and Chief of Staff and Director of Legal Affairs to 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,” Mayor Cherelle L. Parker said in announcing her appointment. “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.”
Resnick said he was humbled by the mayor’s confidence in his abilities to lead the Philadelphia prison system.
“I’m honored by the opportunity to return to public service in Philadelphia and serve Mayor Parker and her administration,” said Michael R. Resnick, Esq. “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.”
Resnick fills the Prison Commissioner position vacated by Commissioner Blanche Carney’s recent retirement. Mayor Parker noted recently that retiring Commissioner Carney should be commended for a long career of public service in Philadelphia, including leading the City’s prison system under “times of great stress and duress.”
“Our prison system is in transition,” Mayor Parker said, “as are many prisons nationwide. My Administration is committed to making every change needed to implement a well-run prison system.”