County may rent cells to Pa., feds

Luzerne County taxpayers spent $589,431 housing inmates in other facilities in 2008 because of overcrowding in the county prison system.

Today, there are empty beds in the county prison system, enough to prompt the county Prison Board on Monday to discuss the possibility of renting space to the state and federal government.

The reversal stems from a concerted effort between the county and courts to reduce the prison population, said County Prison Warden Joseph Piazza.

“The courts are processing inmates faster. Counselors are working at getting inmates out on probation and parole. It’s a combination of things helping,” Piazza said.

The opening of a day reporting center at the end of July should also keep up to 150 non-violent offenders out of the county prison, Piazza said. The center, operated by BI Inc., will allow offenders to be on home confinement as long as they participate in mandatory treatment plans and report to the center for drug testing.

Piazza said reducing the number of inmates housed outside was one of his main missions when he was hired as warden in February 2009. The county spent $258,007 to place inmates in other facilities in 2009.

Luzerne County has a reciprocal agreement with Lackawanna County to house inmates at no cost in special circumstances, Piazza said.

As of Monday, the county had 748 inmates. The county prison complex has the capacity to hold 805 in the main prison, the minimal offender/work release building and a women’s unit, he said.

The prison population is down 94 compared to the previous June, when the average inmate population was 842.

Here’s the average June inmate population in recent years: 2008, 860; 2007, 853; 2006, 820; and 2005, 732.

Commissioners have indefinitely scrapped plans to build a new $100 million-plus, 1,500-bed prison because the county doesn’t have the borrowing capacity to fund it.

“Anybody in corrections today knows we can’t build our way out of this,” Piazza said. “We won’t need a new prison, hopefully, because we’re looking at alternatives to incarceration.”

The county prison board agreed Monday to enter into an agreement with the state Department of Corrections and U.S. Federal Marshal’s Service to house inmates at the county prison when space is available. State and federal approval would take about six to eight weeks, he said.

The county spends about $94 per day per inmate to cover the cost of shelter, staff oversight, food, clothing and medical expenses, Piazza said. He proposes charging the state and federal government around $60 per day to generate revenue.

The prison board also voted unanimously Monday on two promotions: Eugene Wicht, corporal, $53,482, and John Smith, lieutenant, $53,271. David Wilde, Ashley, was hired as a lieutenant, also for $53,271. Corrections officer John Hooper, Ashley, was terminated.