Controller reports $550,423.77 U.S. Marshals payment; canteen accounts hold more than $1 million in combined funds

Controller Gary DeBiglio told the Lackawanna County Prison board the county had received $550,423.77 from the U.S. Marshals Service covering housing of federal inmates in November 2023. DeBiglio said the payment included $25,429.77 in interest and had been placed into the county general fund.

DeBiglio also reported on the prison’s inmate and canteen accounts for January and February 2025. He said the inmate account balance was $468,672.05 and the Canteen checking account balance was $531,695.06 as of Feb. 28, 2025. He added that investment accounts in the Pennsylvania Local Government Investment Trust held $947,813.27 tied to canteen funds; those accounts were earning approximately $3,455 per month and would be settled until July.

DeBiglio told the board the controller’s office reviewed reconciliations for the inmate canteen account for January 2025 and found no discrepancies between reconciliations and the bank statement. He said $80,188.81 was paid from the canteen account in February for inmate benefit, welfare and education, and that an itemized list of those expenses was attached to his report.

DeBiglio said the U.S. Marshals payment was owed to the county since November 2023 but had been sent to another county in error; his office worked to identify and recover the funds. The controller said procedures were implemented to detect future U.S. Marshals Service shortfalls.

Why it matters: The recovered federal payment and healthy canteen balances affect county budgeting and available funding for inmate programs paid from canteen funds.

What’s next: The board approved the controller’s report by voice vote during the March meeting. DeBiglio said the controller’s office will continue monthly reconciliations and will bring related investment decisions to the board when accounts next mature in July.