CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield County Jail’s work release program is on hold due to contraband being found by officers in the facility.
During Tuesday’s Prison Board meeting, acting Warden Susan McQuillen reported that there was contraband smuggled in by someone working outside the facility and because of this, she halted the program.
She stated that until the staff training for the new body scanner is complete, no one will be working outside the jail.
The scanner has been inspected and approved by officials, with training scheduled this week for the administrative staff. After a policy on the procedures with the scanner is completed, the rest of the staff will be trained, she explained.
Commissioner John Sobel commented that it cannot necessarily be proven that someone in the work release program was responsible, but it seemed “pretty obvious” that was the only way contraband could get in.
President Judge Fredric J. Ammerman responded that he didn’t agree with that because there were not many people in the program and new inmates have been known to hide drugs in various body cavities, which the scanner should prevent. (For more information on the body scanner, click here.)
Staffing remains an issue. The jail is down about seven corrections officers, but McQuillen said they have interviews scheduled for the positions this week.
“We have lots of overtime, but that is all we can do.”
The board and the jail have been under scrutiny since last summer when two female inmates overdosed and days later another inmate died after overdosing.
The family of the victim has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the county, warden and several corrections officers, according to previous articles.
McQuillen, a deputy warden, was placed into the position after the former warden, David Gallagher was fired. The search for a permanent replacement is ongoing.
McQuillen also reported that work started Jan. 8 on a project that will replace all of the locks on the cells. The inmates are being rotated around to allow the work to be done on an entire block at once. One block has already been completed.
The jail began December with 171 inmates and ended with 146, which is a “nice number” and one she hopes they can maintain.
Ammerman noted that the court, court administration, the probation and domestic relations offices have worked together with the jail to make this possible.
Commissioner Dave Glass commented that “this wasn’t easy” and thanked them for their efforts.
Ammerman said they are trying to avoid the expense of putting inmates in other county facilities until the work is completed and so far, they have not had to do that.
The board also:
- held a re-organizational meeting with the officers of Ammerman as chair, Sobel as vice-chair and Controller Robert Edwards as secretary being retained. The meetings will continue to be held on the third Tuesday of the month at noon in the commissioners’ meeting room. The personnel committee was also retained as Sheriff Mike Churner, Sobel and Edwards.
- approved an interim policy on attorney visitations. This will be reviewed again after the hiring of a new warden to be finalized. Attorney Chris Pentz attended last month’s meeting asking for clarification on when he can visit, and questioning if his visits are being recorded. The policy requires all attorneys enter through the front door, and the meeting be done in a counselor office or other area where there are no auditory recordings.
- learned the jail finished 2023 under budget.
- noted that detailed responses to two parents who voiced concerns about their family members receiving drug treatments while incarcerated during last month’s meeting, were provided to those people. (For more information on those claims, click here.)