CLEARFIELD – Alleged misconduct by a corrections officer was once again discussed during the public comment portion of the Clearfield County Prison Board meeting Tuesday.
Jan Gaikwad, who has attended several meetings in recent months, asked the board what the status was of the personnel committee’s investigation into her complaint and if the matter would be turned over to law enforcement.
Earlier in 2019, Gaikwad had spoken to the board regarding an incident when she was being booked at Clearfield County Jail for a detainer, and was allegedly assaulted by one of the guards.
President Judge Fredric Ammerman, chairman, said that the prison board doesn’t have the responsibility of turning incidents over to law enforcement.
He added that he understood she had gone to the borough and township police as well as the Pennsylvania State Police regarding the matter and had not gotten anywhere with that.
Ammerman noted she had also attempted to file a private criminal complaint and in regards to that he suggested she should speak with the new district attorney, Ryan Sayers.
“We have no ability to cause charges to be filed,” he said.
Ammerman also explained that the personnel committee, which has been working on reviewing the incident, also has another incident they have been working on, which happened prior to hers.
He said the committee should be reconvening on that matter soon and then will hold a later meeting regarding her incident. After that, the entire board will be brought into the process, first in executive session, and later publicly.
“It seems you have the system set up for people to give up,” Gaikwad said in frustration, noting that she has been working on this for months and also has been sick. She said she wants the CO charged criminally.
Gaikwad also asked how many signatures she would need to have on a petition in order to have the warden fired.
Ammerman replied, “We don’t do business by petition,” but that she was welcome to put a petition together and bring it to the board, although it would have no effect on the warden’s employment.