At jail, a staffing challenge or staffing crisis?

By using the Right to Know Law, the public finally obtained a redacted copy of the consultant’s report on suicide prevention at the Allegheny County Jail (June 6, “Report Cites Issues With Allegheny County Jail”). Among the 13 problem areas the report identified was “staffing challenges in medical nursing as well as screening and treatment services by mental health specialists.” As of August 2019, when the study was done, there were 37 medical and mental health staff vacancies at the jail. Even worse, key health personnel have left: director of nursing, assistant director of nursing, health services administrator, clinic coordinator and the drug and alcohol director. Moreover, there have not been any on-staff psychiatrists at the jail since the beginning of 2020. This is hardly a staffing challenge; this is a hair-on-fire staffing crisis. Barbara Parees, the county executive’s representative on the Oversight Board, voted against the board forming its own committee to implement the recommendations in the report. Why? Would the county executive have more control over costs if the only people responding to the report would be composed of the administration at the jail?

Councilwoman Bethany Hallam has it right in forming an Oversight Board committee for implementing the report’s recommendations. The staffing crisis at the jail needs to be a major priority. Workforce development experts, nursing school faculty and County Mental Health need to be part of this committee.

Compliance with the consultant’s recommendations can only occur if the Oversight Board, the county, Allegheny County Jail and the community help to solve the staffing crisis at the jail together.

JOHN KENSTOWICZ

Morningside