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By DAVID WEISS
dweiss@leader.net
Thursday, March 06, 2003 Page: 5A
WILKES-BARRE County prison officials hope to have the final
architectural plans for expanding and renovating the minimal-offenders
building by this month.
Warden Gene Fischi said the final plan will be put out for bid once
officials approve the design.
Fischi and county Engineer James Brozena could not put a price tag on the
project. But Brozena said he hopes the project will be complete by year’s end.
Expansion talks began after the prison saw a significant increase in
prisoner population for several years. The rise forced the county to
continually spend thousands of dollars to house inmates at other counties’
prisons. Currently, no prisoners are housed at other facilities, Fischi said.
The expansion will increase the number of beds at the Reichard Street
building from 80 to 120. Fischi said 160 inmates are currently housed at the
minimal-offenders’ building, located a few hundred yards away from the main
facility.
The expansion will ease the crowding, he said.
“It’s going to lessen the load,” he said. “It would spread them out more.”
The decision to expand the minimal-offenders’ building instead of the main
facility came in May.
Fischi said Brozena has been working with an architectural firm to develop
the plan.
The prison recently received a preliminary plan and the finishing touches
are being put on that plan. Once the plans are complete, the county will
solicit bids for the work.
David Weiss, a Times Leader staff writer, can be reached at 831-7397.