CLEARFIELD- The Clearfield County Prison’s population is lower than it has been in years due to changes designed to protect the inmate population from COVID-19.
During Tuesday’s prison board meeting, President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman and chairman of the board reported that the total amount of prisoners is now 109.
Since the COVID-19 crisis began, steps have been taken to sentence inmates as soon as possible and get them out of the facility. Others have been released on bail or house arrest.
Acting Warden Michael Cook noted that at one point, the total amount of inmates was actually as low as 99. Last month the daily population was 161.
Due to overpopulation, the county has had to house some inmates in other counties for a few years now.
At this point, three inmates remain in the Centre County Jail and one is left in the Jefferson County facility.
Ammerman mentioned that the Centre County Correctional Facility now has one case of the virus and asked if the county would have to bring those three inmates back here.
Cook said one of the Centre County inmates was released on house arrest today and another is scheduled to be released on April 23.
This inmate will be released directly to the public and would not have to return to Clearfield County to be processed.
District Attorney Ryan Sayers said the last Centre County inmate is set be released on May 1. The inmate in Jefferson County will be released June 16.
Ammerman asked what measures Centre County is taking to protect the inmates and Cook responded that he believed that facility is equipped to handle the infected person and confirmed that those inmates should not be brought back to Clearfield County.
According to a previous article, the Clearfield County Prison has closed the facility to visitors with only essential personnel allowed into the building. All classes and group meetings are suspended.
Staff is encouraged to not come in to work if they are ill. Inmates’ temperatures are being monitored.
With the smaller numbers of inmates, the board stated they expected the overtime hours to come down in March.
Cook explained that most of the overtime comes from the guards calling in sick, which adds to other guards’ time.
Cook also said that he has not yet filled the five additional guard positions that were recently approved.
Commissioner Dave Glass acknowledged that when former Warden Greg Collins resigned at the end of March, Cook was named interim warden and “we put him in a tough spot.”
Glass suggested that Cook receive a pay increase while he is doing the work of the warden to put his salary in line with the starting salary of $45,000 for the warden position and this be retroactive to his start date.
Ammerman agreed and Scotto thanked Cook for doing a good job saying “we should recognize that.”
A motion was made to make this recommendation to the salary board.
As for the warden position, a number of applications have been received and some of these people will be scheduled to be interviewed via Zoom.