Delco Jail Oversight Board getting down to business
MEDIA » In its second meeting, the Delaware County Jail Oversight Board set up four committees and picked a chair and vice chair. Members also learned about correctional officer wages and reentry processes as it did so.
Delaware County Councilman Kevin Madden was elected chair by a 7-2 vote with Deborah Love and county Common Pleas Court Judge Mary Alice Brennan opposing it. County Chief Administrative Officer Marianne Grace was unanimously elected vice chair.
When discussions began over who will be the solicitor, Brennan added, “I think transparency is extremely important and it very much concerns me and chills me to think that you want to make this board a part of county council. This is a separate board and that’s all I have to say.”
As the board moved forward, it established four committees to address specific issues. Those issues include the reporting of major and sentinel incidents to the board; staffing; drug treatment; and reentry programs.
An example of the need for communication arose as board member Brian Corson spoke about his request for information regarding the five overdoses, one that ended in a fatality, and suicide on Dec. 25 at the George W. Hill Correctional Facility.
“We’re sitting on Jan. 14 on a request that I made Dec. 26,” he said. “Quite frankly, I’m confused by the process.”
Grace said such a committee would set the parameters for what needs to be disclosed to the board and when.
“I’m sure there are many, many things that happen every day that would not necessarily rise to the level of communication with the board,” she said. “So, I think for us really defining what that level of event is and then making sure that the board is informed.
Board members Corson, Love, county Sheriff Jerry L. Sanders Jr. and county Controller Joanne Phillips comprise this committee.
Another committee formed focuses on staffing and includes board members Jonathan King and Love.
At the meeting, Acting Warden
Donna Mellon gave a report that GEO staffing was 94 percent in December with 20 correctional officer positions vacant and that GEO was hosting three training sessions in January.
For the year, staffing penalties resulted in a $703,398.75 credit to Delaware County, something Madden said didn’t seem to be sufficient.
“I’ve to say it’s a really bad look when the prison’s being understaffed and we have incidents of the severity that we saw,” he said. “Personally, I think we need to see every effort by GEO to not only get to 95 percent and 96 percent but get to full staffing.”
Love, who has administrative experience in the Crozer-Keystone Health System, said her work in
24/7 health facilities showed her
100 percent staffing is not possible but there are a variety of approaches to address it.
Madden added, “I just personally say at a time when there’s as much discussion as there is about deprivatizing, I’m going to say personally this is a key part of that.”
King also said, “If the employees are unhappy and the inmates have mental health issues ... that’s kind of a recipe of disaster inside the institution.”
In addition, Madden said mandatory overtime is another issue. “Sixteen straight hours and they’re being forced to work that - that’s not an ideal circumstance,” he said.
Another committee was formed to evaluate drug treatment and programs in the 1,883-prisoner facility.
“Vivitrol is a once a month shot,” Madden said. “It’s effective for some folks but it’s not effective for everyone. When we have multiple options for medication-assisted treatment to people, one of which is buprenorphine, which is now available by shot, I think we need to do everything we can to explore the feasibility of making it available to as many people as would be interested and good candidates for it.”
He said about 50 percent of the county prisoners are dealing with some sort of drug addiction.
Madden, Corson, Love and board member and Common Pleas Court Judge Jack Whelan will comprise this committee. As Delaware County district attorney, Whelan established the Delaware County Heroin Task Force in 2012 to address the growing problem here in the county and spearheaded the effort that saw police officers equipped with Narcan to use in response to overdose calls.
The fourth subcommittee focuses on re-entry programs and processes and will include King, Phillips and Sanders.
King, a re-entry specialist, asked, :What is the highest population ... of residents in Delaware County prison?”
Neither Mellon nor GEO Facility Administrator David Byrne knew.
“The highest population of people in Delaware County prison come from Chester, Pa.,” King said. “It’s important. the only reason I say that is with all of the programs that Delaware County prison has, none of the people in the local areas are really involved in the process of helping people ... How do we get different resources in that prison to help the residents be successful out in the free world and we can keep down that recividism?”
Mellon said the prison has four case managers who specialize in re-entry. Two focus on the work release population and two work throughout the jail.