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Prison board reviews May jail population and incidents, approves hires, two promotions and one termination
Summary
The warden reported an average daily population of 665 in May, eight extraordinary occurrence reports including use of restraint chairs and OC spray, and staffing numbers; the board approved hiring Carissa James, promoted Justin Copa and Mike Esposito to lieutenant and approved termination of a correctional officer.
The Lackawanna County Prison Board accepted the warden’s report for May and, following an executive session, approved personnel actions including hiring, promotions and a termination.
The warden (name not provided) reported an average daily population of 665 inmates in May, including 519 county inmates, 595 adult males, 3 juvenile males, 67 adult females and 146 U.S. Marshals detainees. He gave a staffing breakdown indicating 177 full‑time officers on shift, three on workers’ compensation, 85 on intermittent FMLA, one on administrative leave and one full‑time vacancy, for a total of 182 full‑time officer positions.
The warden summarized eight extraordinary occurrence reports in May. Incidents included multiple episodes in which individuals inflicted self‑harm or threatened staff, several placements in the emergency restraint chair and one deployment of OC spray. The warden said individuals placed in restraints and those exposed to OC spray receive medical checks and that medical and mental‑health staff — and, when appropriate, personnel from the local CMC hospital — are involved in care and follow‑up. He said a PRIA investigation (allegation of staff‑inmate contact) was completed and deemed unfounded; the completed investigation was forwarded to the district attorney’s office for any further action.
Public comment raised two topics. Miss Cummings asked about the county policy toward ICE agents and whether the county would protect federal officers from attacks; the district attorney (unnamed) said ICE agents are federal law enforcement and that any attack on law enforcement would be investigated and prosecuted to the fullest extent, and the sheriff said he concurred. Leslie Smith, speaking on behalf of female inmates, read a letter describing maintenance and cleanliness problems in housing units — citing mold, dusty vents, missing ladders on bunks, limits on access to cleaning supplies and restrictions on showers — and urged the board to address those issues. The warden and other staff described the grievance process and a maintenance work‑order procedure as the documented routes inmates can use to report problems.
After an executive session to discuss personnel matters, the board voted to: hire Carissa James as a full‑time correctional counselor; promote Officer Justin Copa and Officer Mike Esposito to the rank of lieutenant (promotions followed an internal posting and interviews); and approve the termination of one full‑time correctional officer (name not stated in public minutes). Each personnel motion passed on voice votes; recorded individual roll-call tallies were not provided in the transcript.
Judge (name not provided) said he had rescinded his notice of intention to retire earlier in the meeting and said he would designate a bench representative to succeed him on the prison board as he steps down from this board role.
The board accepted the warden’s report and approved the personnel actions in affirmative voice votes at the meeting.
