Luzerne County Government

April 13, 2010

Center operator for nonviolent inmates picked

Innovative program designed to save county money, cut down on prison overcrowding.

By Jennifer Learn-Andes jandes@timesleader.com
Luzerne County Reporter
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Luzerne County officials have selected BI Inc. to operate a day reporting center that should move up to 150 inmates out of the county’s overcrowded prison.

“This is only the second day reporting center in the state. This is a big deal for Luzerne County,” said prison Warden Joseph Piazza.

County officials have been discussing the possibility of such a center for years, modeled after one in Franklin County in southern Pennsylvania.

The county Prison Board voted to hire BI Inc., of Wilkes-Barre, on Monday, and commissioners plan to ratify the proposal Wednesday. A contract spelling out payment amounts would be approved at a later date.

Non-violent offenders selected for the program would be placed on home confinement and report to the center five or six days per week for drug testing and participation in their mandatory treatment plans, officials say.

Treatment plans may involve drug and alcohol counseling, group therapy, completion of a high school equivalency diploma and assistance with life skills, officials say.

The county may gradually reduce the number of reporting days required for inmates who comply with rules and demonstrate success, officials said.

Piazza estimated the day reporting center will cost the county anywhere from $18 to $25 per day per inmate, compared to the roughly $87-per-day cost of lodging inmates in the county lockup.

The center will also likely lead to staffing reductions at the county prison and reduce the need to send inmates to other counties when the county prison is filled, Piazza said. Commissioners halted plans to build a new prison because the county doesn’t have the borrowing capacity to fund it.

“Our prison was built in 1850. We need a new prison, but we can’t afford one,” Piazza said.

Day reporting centers are also aimed at reducing recidivism by forcing offenders to meet goals rather than just sit in a prison cell, he said.

“That’s the whole trend right now, getting non-violent offenders out of prison beds because that’s just driving prison budgets through the roof,” he said. “It’s also hopefully getting these inmates on the right track.”

BI, which already provides electronic monitoring services to the county, was selected from eight companies interested in operating that day reporting center.

John Hogan, BI’s program manager, said the company will seek approval from Wilkes-Barre to house the center in a commercially zoned building at 125 N. Wilkes-Barre Blvd. BI already occupies some space in that building, he said.

The company would have to explore options if the city denies the request, Hogan said.

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