SUNBURY - The policy of housing inmates from other counties has generated significant revenue, but Northumberland County Prison will no longer accept out-of-county prisoners because of its increasing population.
"We don't have room for them any longer," said Warden Roy Johnson during Wednesday's prison board meeting.
Presently, there is only one inmate from another county being housed at the Sunbury jail, which currently holds 270.
Johnson said there will be times when exceptions are made to house prisoners from other counties, but he said the normal practice will be curtailed.
In August, Johnson reported the prison averages approximately $20,000 per month in revenue by housing out-of-county prisoners, and said by the end of July, the prison had generated approximately $160,000 by housing inmates from other counties this year.
But he cautioned the board that if the prison population increased, fewer prisoners from out of the county could be housed there.
The prison population consists of 205 males and 65 females. Last month, its highest population was 256 on Oct. 31, while its lowest was 231 on Oct. 3.
Non-violent releases
The board agreed to begin releasing in the next two weeks as many as 40 non-violent prisoners from Northumberland County Prison and placing them on house arrest in an effort to reduce costs.
County commissioners believe the move could save approximately $500,000 a year.
Under the plan spearheaded by Commissioner Vinny Clausi, President Judge Robert B. Sacavage and chief adult probation officer Dave Wondoloski, non-violent inmates would be released and confined to their homes under the house arrest program, which would allow them to obtain jobs in an effort to lead productive lives.
Two COs fired
In other business, Johnson informed the board that two part-time correctional officers who were still serving their probationary periods were terminated recently.
Aubrey Brown, who was hired July 2, and Anthony Russo, who began employment May 14, were fired for undisclosed reasons. They were each paid $12.19 per hour.
On Oct. 18, Correctional Officer William Reber, 23, of Watsontown, was terminated by Johnson, who cited conduct that violates prison policy.
Reber, a union correctional officer, was fired for allegedly wrestling with a male prisoner more than a month ago and providing him with Tylenol after he was injured in the scuffle.
Reber, who is named as a defendant in two recent lawsuits filed against eight current or former prison personnel relating to alleged beatings suffered by two inmates, had worked at the prison for approximately two years, including six months as a full-time employee.
He was suspended with pay Oct. 17 by the county prison board pending the completion of a fact-finding probe conducted by prison officials.
The board passed motions recommended by commissioner and prison board chairman Stephen Bridy to have solicitor John Muncer develop a policy regarding suspensions of prison personnel while granting Johnson authority in the interim to suspend employees with pay or without pay.
Muncer said only the prison board has the authority to hire and fire employees.
Clausi-Shoch dispute
About half way through a 30-minute executive session held to discuss litigation and personnel matters, Clausi exited the meeting and summoned the media inside before being told by other prison board members to wait until the executive session was over before making any comments to the two newspaper reporters waiting in the lobby of the administration center.
He did wait, but as soon as the regular meeting reconvened, Clausi walked up to the media and complained about being "shut down" by Commissioner Richard Shoch while he was addressing issues with the prison board during the executive session, the latest in an ongoing feud between the two.
"I was talking about restructuring the prison because there are too many lawsuits being filed against the prison," Clausi said. "I believe the prison is going in the wrong direction. We have to protect the citizens against lawsuits and I feel my rights as an elected official were violated by Mr. Shoch shutting me down."
Shoch said Clausi was diverting from the purpose of the executive session by "badgering" District Attorney Tony Rosini about losing a detective and secretary in his office due to budgetary cuts made by the commissioners. He told Clausi, "I believe you were getting too far afield."
Sacavage said he is uncomfortable speaking about personnel matters no matter who brings them up.
Muncer then advised Bridy to move on with the meeting.
After the meeting, Shoch said Clausi's actions during the meeting were nothing more than his usual "carnival side show antics."
Asked to respond to Shoch's remark, Clausi said, "I just wanted to inform the prison board what's going on in the prison. The only ones interested in listening to me were Judge Sacavage, Commissioner Bridy and Controller Tony Phillips."