Prison reports show 689 average daily population, four restraint incidents in April; public raises medical and sanitary concerns

The Lackawanna County Prison Board received financial and operational reports and heard multiple public comments about conditions, medical care and inmate access to services.

Controller's report: The county controller reported that reconciliations for the prison inmate and canteen accounts for March showed no discrepancies with bank statements. The inmate account balance was reported as $470,378.61 as of April 30, 2025. The canteen checking account balance was reported as $571,138.28 as of April 30, and the Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust balance held for the canteen totaled $947,819.85 and was reported to earn about $3,455 per month. The controller said one investment matures on July 11 for approximately $857,000 and another on July 24; the controller corrected an earlier misspoken month during discussion.

Operational and incident report: Deputy Warden Colleen Arzell gave the warden's report. She said the average daily population for April was 689, of which 540 were county inmates; the facility averaged 614 adult males, three juvenile males and 71 adult females. On staffing, Arzell reported "we have 172 full time officers, 3 are on workers comp, 1 on continuous FMLA, 88 on intermittent FMLA, and then we have 6 vacancies for full time officers," and later in the report said "so we're at 182 full time officers," a numeric discrepancy in the transcript that was not clarified on the public record.

Arzell reported four "extraordinary occurrences" in April that involved placing inmates in an emergency restraint chair after they made suicidal or homicidal statements or otherwise were uncooperative; on one occasion staff used OC spray before entering a cell to place an inmate in the chair. She also reported one completed PREA investigation for an allegation of staff-on-inmate harassment; the investigation was deemed unfounded and the completed investigation was forwarded to the district attorney's office for any further action.

Rehabilitation and training: Arzell said nine inmates participated in a week-long ServSafe program with Aramark in April and all achieved ServSafe certifications that could be used for employment after release.

Commissary accounting note: Arzell told the board that because accounting services in the original commissary contract are being provided by ViaPath rather than Keefe, the Keefe commission needed to be adjusted downward (see separate item on the contract amendment).

Public comments and concerns: Several members of the public raised concerns about conditions and services. Joan Hodowan and other speakers praised outgoing Warden Tim Petty for his service. Multiple commenters raised complaints about women's access to sanitary supplies; a speaker identified as Leslie Smith said women were limited to four sanitary pads per 24 hours and that some people were resorting to using socks as improvised pads. Denise Brown Troupe and others said female inmates were restricted from showering while state auditors toured the facility during an inspection; facility staff responded that inspectors toured cells and staff would follow up on inspection findings.

Other public concerns included reports of sewer backups during heavy rain, visible mold or "mushrooms" in one cell block, delays in medical care for chronic conditions (one commenter said a person with atrial fibrillation "literally flatlined" in October and remained without proper treatment), and problems with tablet access and the ability for inmates to transfer funds between commissary and tablet/phone accounts. Staff said family members typically deposit funds to an inmate's account and that moving funds between account types might require contacting the business office.

A member of the public asked about whether U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement or Department of Homeland Security units were bringing detainees to the county prison under current practice. Board members said they had no information that ICE/ERO custody was being processed at the county facility and noted ICE detainees are typically taken to other detention facilities in the region.

Solitary confinement and policy discussion: A commissioner spoke about a recently reviewed report on restricted housing (solitary confinement), saying the practice "can have deeply negative psychological impacts" but that restricted housing remains a tool for safety when inmates present clear threats. The commissioner supported steps in the report recommending better explanation of facility rules to inmates and increasing mental health professional staffing as means to reduce restrictive-housing placements.

The board approved earlier items on the agenda, including payables and the warden's report, and then continued with new business and public comment.