Questions about prison should give way to answers

May 09, 2008 05:20 am

— Some of the criticism targeting the Northumberland County Prison can be attributed to the age of the facility and its antiquated design.
The 132-year-old jail was built in an age when the civil rights of prisoners was paid little, if any, attention. Taxpayers may be willing to overlook some of the concerns, especially in light of the potential cost of a new facility.
But make no mistake: Some of the problems cannot be blamed on the facility.
A pattern of incompetence and unwillingness to enforce the will of the county prison board seems to be surfacing at the lockup.
Prison board members recently questioned Warden Ralph Reish about incidents in which staff failed to complete paperwork so three prisoners with addictions could be moved to treatment centers.
As a result, three people languished in the jail for up to three months longer than needed at a time while the prison struggles with overcrowding.
Prison board officials deserve credit for asking questions but their queries prompted no meaningful explanations. It was not the only case in which prison staff seemed to flout the authority of the governing board.
Two corrections officers were given three-day suspensions eight months ago but have yet to serve those penalties. The warden told the prison board he could not enforce the penalty because the jail is understaffed. What message does this inaction send?
Prison administrators should fill any open corrections officers positions to reach adequate staffing levels.
If the prison is unable to attract candidates because of noncompetitive compensation or other reasons, then the problem needs to be resolved.
The warden oversees day-to-day operations but the overall management of the facility is the responsibility of elected officials. If problems persist, prison board members will have to move past asking questions of the warden and begin providing their own answers.