CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield County Jail has a new warden, again.
During Tuesday’s Prison Board meeting, it was announced that David Rupprecht Jr. of Brockway has been hired as to take control of the facility. He is the third warden hired for the position in less than four years.
Rupprecht is currently employed by the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Philipsburg and is expected to start at the jail on March 4.
Commissioner Dave Glass stated at the meeting that the board had interviewed several good candidates and it was a tough choice, with Rupprecht being their best option.
After a second interview, which included a tour of the facility, Rupprecht asked “all the right questions,” Commissioner Tim Winters noted.
Commissioner John Sobel added that in addition to his 12 years in correctional institutions where he was a security captain, Rupprecht served in the army.
Glass stated that during the tour, it was obvious his focus was on security.
District Attorney Ryan Sayers pointed out that over the last few years, the jail has had multiple wardens. Based on Rupprecht’s background, he thinks “he can be here for a long period of time and bring stability” to the jail.
Although he was not able to participate in the interviews due to his court schedule, President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman stated that the board hired the “person on paper I would have hired.”
The board and the jail have been under scrutiny since last summer when three female inmates overdosed within a few days, with one of them dying.
The family of the victim has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the county, warden and several corrections officers, according to previous articles.
In December, Warden David Gallagher was fired. He was originally hired as a deputy warden but moved into the warden position after the resignation of David Kessling in September of 2022.
Kessling was in the position just over two years. At that time, he explained he was looking to do something different and in November of 2023, Kessling was elected as a Blair County Commissioner.
In October, Eric Bush, a former deputy warden, resigned after being at the facility for only about a year. Bush’s replacement, Krisha Oates, was hired in December. She previously worked at the Jefferson County Prison.
Acting Warden Susan McQuillen, who is normally a deputy, reported during the meeting that the new body scanner is now in operation with eight employees trained to use it.
More will be trained soon to ensure all shifts have a qualified individual on site. Currently it used to scan inmates returning from work release, court or medical appointments and for incoming inmates.
Ammerman thanked the commissioners for securing the funding for the purchase of the equipment.
The scanner cost $130,000 and was purchased with funds coming from the Opioid Settlement and American Rescue funds, according to previous reports.
Online information on the scanner, a HT3000SV from Secure Technology Value Solutions (STVS), specifies that it would take 400 inspections to equal the radiation of one chest x-ray.
It will detect items under clothing or hidden in a body cavity including weapons, explosives, drugs, mobile phones and jewelry.
McQuillen also reported that:
- The jail staff is still short six corrections officers.
- The work release program, which had been suspended following a contraband incident, is “up and running” again.
- The project updating all the locks on the cells is near completion with only four cell blocks remaining. It should be finished in eight to 10 weeks. She said the staff has been great with the rotating of inmates to allow the work to be done.
- The population at the facility started in January with 149 inmates and ended with 138.
- There was one extraordinary occurrence with a female inmate who was problematic, but it was resolved quickly with no weapons involved.
