An official hiring decision must still be made by the Prison Board of Trustees, but it is anticipated that Giorla will be named to the job, because all seven board members are mayoral appointees.

Speaking at a City Hall news conference, Nutter told reporters that he conducted a national search before settling on Giorla. During his career, Giorla has been the warden at the city's Riverside Correctional Facility and Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility. He lives in Northeast Philadelphia.

Nutter praised Giorla's "deep passion and deep commitment to improving the lives of those incarcerated," and emphasized his administration's priority in pushing for changes in the city's prison system.

The son of a corrections officer, Giorla followed in his father's footsteps when he began his career in 1982 as an officer at the House of Correction.

Nutter yesterday also signed an executive order - his seventh since becoming mayor - that calls for Giorla to complete a report assessing the state of the prison system and recommending ways to reduce the number of inmates.

The prison population has shot up in recent years, from an average of 5,700 daily prisoners in 1998 to 9,200 as of last Monday.

The report is expected to be completed in about 30 days, Nutter said.

The mayor added that his administration was also creating a Community Justice Advisory Board that would include representatives from the District Attorney's Office, the court system, the Sheriff's Office, and the Public Defender's Office.