Philadelphia Apologizes For Unethical Experiments On Inmates That Spanned Three Decades
On Thursday (October 6), the city of Philadelphia issued an apology for the unethical medical experiments performed on mostly Black inmates at its Holmesburg Prison from the 1950s through the 1970s.
According to NPR, the move comes after community activists and families of some of the inmates affected raised the need for a formal apology.
"Without excuse, we formally and officially extend a sincere apology to those who were subjected to this inhumane and horrific abuse. We are also sorry it took far too long to hear these words," Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said in a stated apology.
The city allowed University of Pennsylvania researcher Dr. Albert Kligman to conduct dermatological, biochemical and pharmaceutical experiments that intentionally exposed around 300 inmates to viruses, fungus, asbestos and chemical agents. The vast majority of the experiments were performed on Black men, many of whom were awaiting trial and trying to save money for bail. Many of them were also illiterate, according to the city.
Many of the former inmates ended up with lifelong scars and health issues from Kligman’s experiments. A group of the inmates filed a lawsuit against the university and Kligman in 2000 that was ultimately thrown out because of a statute of limitations.
Last year, Penn issued a formal apology and took Kligman’s name off some honorifics like an annual lecture series and professorship. The school also directed research funds to fellows focused on dermatological issues in people of color.
Kligman died in 2010.
