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Lackawanna County prison warden reports stable population, seeks equipment purchases and confirms four officer hires
Summary
The warden told the prison board Jan. 21 that average daily population in December was 629 and outlined three restraint incidents, proposed using canteen funds for a dishwasher and a digital dental X‑ray, and sought approval to make four part‑time officers full time (motion approved).
The Lackawanna County Prison warden reported to the county Prison Board on Jan. 21 that the average daily population for December was 629 inmates, including 473 county inmates, with 561 adult males, one juvenile male and 67 adult females. The warden said U.S. Marshals detainees averaged 142 per day and Susquehanna County detainees averaged 14.
The warden detailed three December incidents that required emergency restraints after inmates became aggressive or threatened self‑harm; a PREA investigation into alleged inmate‑on‑inmate harassment was deemed unfounded and forwarded to the district attorney for review. The warden said the jail’s overtime year‑to‑date was notable but that overall expenses through Dec. 31 were about 95% of budget while revenue was 94%.
On facilities, the warden asked the board to consider using canteen account funds to buy a new commercial dishwasher (estimated about $100,000) and a digital dental X‑ray machine (estimated $10,000–$15,000). The board voted to table the dishwasher purchase for further review; a controller questioned procurement strategy and suggested a public bid in addition to CoStars vendors to seek the best price.
On staffing, the warden recommended four part‑time correctional officers — Leroy Demuth, Joanna Morales, Joshua Polk and Shauna Smearle — be advanced to full‑time status. The board approved the hires by voice vote. The warden also requested an executive session to discuss recommendations for two additional full‑time hires.
The board recorded motions and voice votes on the various requests and agreed that more detailed cost estimates and vendor comparisons would be brought back to a future meeting if the board pursues equipment purchases.
