County staff warns new DOC drop-off time could increase travel and overtime

A county staff member told meeting participants that the state Department of Corrections has issued a memo setting an 8:30 a.m. drop-off time for new commitments at the SCI Smithfield intake, a change the staff member said will increase travel time and likely overtime for Jefferson County personnel.

"Starting April, our new commitments, we have to have them down there at 08:30 in the morning," Speaker 2 said. The staff member identified SCI Smithfield as the drop-off location in Huntington County and said the facility is "about an hour and a half from us." He suggested that, when possible, the county would prefer to drop off inmates at SCI Forest in Marionville, which he said is "35 minutes away from here."

Speaker 2 said the timing will require early departures: "I'm gonna have to send a car probably at least 2 hours early, even the county at 06:30 in the morning to get there at 08:30, at the deadline." He added that the Pennsylvania Sheriff's Association is contesting the change because it will "create overtime for the counties" and could mean many deputies "are all gonna get there right at the same time, and it's gonna be a nightmare." The staff member noted limited ability to challenge the memo because the facilities are state-run.

The transcript records this information as a description from county personnel; no formal motion or vote on the matter appears in the recorded excerpt. The conversation was framed as a heads-up to county officials about an operational change at the state level.

The county did not record any decision or direction in the transcript to change practices, file a formal objection, or request an alternative arrangement from the Department of Corrections during this meeting.