CLEARFIELD – A concerned citizen is concerned over the amount of drug activity at the Clearfield County Jail.
During Tuesday’s board of commissioners’ meeting, Charlie Lombardo said the jail is supposed to be a “safe haven” for those it incarcerates.
“People do drugs, they do bad things, he said, “and they go to jail. But the way it is now, you may as well put a drive-up [window] in for them to get their drugs.”
He suggested that there’s clearly something lacking on a professional level and the warden should be held liable.
Lombardo said if the jail doesn’t have a body scanner, then body cavity searches should be done on all new inmates at in-take.
Instead, “that place has gone to poop” and it’s time for change so those who go to jail do their time, not drugs all the time.
“Something has to be done,” Lombardo said. You’re looking into a body scanner. That’s great, but we need employees to do their job. It’s as simple as that.”
And his message to members of the Prison Board was the same: “do your job; do your job.”
Charges were filed last week against a Clearfield woman who is accused of smuggling multiple drugs—including fentanyl—into the jail and causing three women to overdose with one of them dying.
Angela Marie Ricketts, 38, is charged by the Clearfield Regional police with drug delivery resulting in death, three counts each of contraband/controlled substance, possession controlled substance contraband/inmate, manufacture/delivery/possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance, and intentional possession of a controlled substance, all felonies as well as misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter and three counts each of recklessly endangering another person and possession of drug paraphernalia.
The charges stem from incidents at the jail in July. To read more about the case, click here for prior coverage.