South Chester Today

In order to provide for community safety and improve working conditions for county corrections officers, several Pennsylvania House members announced they will soon introduce legislation to upgrade county jail security, bolster staffing, and improve county jail infrastructure across Pennsylvania.

The five-bill package will:

- Provide funding to upgrade security and health infrastructure (including heating and air conditioning) of county jails.

- Bolster staff by allowing county jails to hire other county corrections officers or state corrections officers to fill vacant shifts.

- Eliminate parole opportunities for inmates who escape county jails or attempt escape.

- Require the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections to conduct a security audit of county jails that have experienced a jail escape.

- Create an alert system to be activated in the event of a prison escape.

Discussing the need for wide-ranging and impactful action, Rep. Craig Williams (R-Chester/Delaware) said the state should marshal its resources to help counties secure county jail facilities and help fill staffing shortages.

“Pennsylvanians deserve to know that our county jails are safe and secure, and we must do more to improve working conditions for our county corrections officers to enhance recruitment and fill staffing shortages,” said Williams, who is sponsoring legislation to require that a greater portion of the savings realized from the Justice Reinvestment Initiative (JRI) be directed to fund Pennsylvania’s county jails to improve security and promote the safety of inmates and staff.

“The bill I will be introducing will provide needed state resources to assist counties in keeping communities safe, securing county jails, and providing for our county corrections officers who put their lives on the line to keep some of the most dangerous criminals among us in custody.”

To deal with staffing shortages at county jails, Rep. Sheryl Delozier (R-Cumberland) will introduce legislation allowing off-duty staff from other county jails or the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections to bolster staffing where vacant shifts exist.

“A persistent problem facing county jail facilities is the lack of trained staff,” Delozier said. “With having SCI Camp Hill in my district, I know our state corrections officers are hardworking, highly trained, and skilled in securing inmates. We need... those already trained in prison security can assist in bolstering staff complements."

Following a prison escape in Warren County earlier this year, Rep. Kathy Rapp (R-Warren/Forrest) proposed legislation prohibiting parole eligibility for inmates who have escaped or attempted escape from custody.

“When inmates face less than significant consequences for escaping or trying... sometimes the risk is worth the reward,” Rapp said. “The Legislature can... make sure inmates are completely disincentivized from attempting escape."

Rep. John Lawrence (R-Chester) stressed his legislation would require an investigation into any prison escape at a county prison by experts from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections with recommendations provided afterward.

“Any jailbreak from a... demands a thorough review,” Lawrence stated. “Repeated escapes... cannot be tolerated."

Rep. Mike Stender (R-Northumberland/Montour) plans legislation creating an alert system named "DIEAS" which would inform communities promptly about escapes.

“This simple alert system... like an Amber Alert," Stender said. "This will notify local communities when an inmate escapes."