County proclaims Correctional Employees Week; jail leaders and staff describe operational changes and safety tools

Allegheny County Council proclaimed May 2025 as Correctional Employees Week and honored personnel who operate the Allegheny County Jail. The proclamation was presented by Council member Bethany Hallam, who sponsored the recognition, and jail leadership described staffing, volunteer support and operational improvements during remarks to the council.

"We are here today to celebrate National Correctional Employees Week," Council member Bethany Hallam said in presenting the proclamation, noting the wide range of staff needed to run the facility. "All of these people come together to run a facility that houses nearly 2,000 adults, nearly 2 dozen children, and they make it work."

Trevor Wingard, the new warden at the county facility, thanked the council and said roughly 850 staff work at the jail, along with about 50 volunteers. "From the newest corrections officer to the most senior doctor, nurse, and everybody in between ... they don't get the recognition. They never have," Wingard said, adding the recognition was important for morale.

Why it matters: Council members used the proclamation to call attention to the range of duties correctional staff perform and to note recent operational improvements at the jail. Warden Wingard and multiple deputy wardens emphasized staffing levels and the variety of roles required to operate the institution safely.

Public comment and staff testimony: During general public comment, speakers provided firsthand accounts from corrections staff about tools and procedures. John Kenstewitz read narrative statements from correctional officers and staff describing encounters where a restraint chair or other devices shortened transport times and reduced injury risk. One officer’s account included a transport that took about 20 minutes without mechanical restraints and said the use of a restraint chair "could have been completed in less than 5 minutes with no risk of injury to the resident or the officers, or county or personal liability."

Another staff statement in the same testimony described the restraint chair as a safety device intended to give individuals time to calm down during intake and prevent self‑harm, not as punishment. Those accounts were submitted as narratives representing frontline staff experiences and framed as supporting a set of operational tools under consideration.

Details and follow up: The proclamation cites historical context for National Correctional Employees Week and recognizes the complex roles of correctional staff, including medical, programming and administrative personnel. Warden Wingard and deputy wardens introduced several leadership team members and noted ongoing work to improve operations and community relations.

What’s next: The testimonies read into the record indicated county correctional leadership and staff may pursue procedural reviews and training on the safe use of restraint devices; no policy change or vote was taken at the meeting. Council members and county leadership acknowledged the need to balance security, safety and humane treatment and said they would continue to consult with staff and medical personnel on appropriate protocols.