Public commenters and board discuss jail conditions, health care, programs after warden's monthly report

The Lackawanna County Prison Board on April 16 approved routine payables and received the monthly comptroller and warden reports, then heard extended public comment raising concerns about living conditions, medical care, commissary offerings and the availability of rehabilitative programs at the county prison.

The board approved the meeting minutes, current payables for the community corrections center and county prison, and the comptroller's reconciliations by voice vote. The board then heard the warden's report on population, staffing and incidents before a public-comment period in which multiple formerly incarcerated people and advocates urged changes to nutrition, health care, visitation and the prison's programming.

The comptroller, Mr. DeBiglio, said the inmate account balance was $483,103.12 as of February and that the canteen checking account balance was $549,526.49 as of March 31. He also reported $947,816.61 held in Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust accounts associated with the canteen, noting that those investments are earning approximately $3,455 per month and will next mature in July 2025.

Warden (name not specified) reported an average daily population of 692 inmates for March, including 544 county inmates, and said staffing totals included 74 full-time officers on shift and two full-time vacancies. The warden recounted five noteworthy incidents in March that included multiple uses of an emergency restraint chair and deployments of OC spray; he also said…