SMETHPORT – McKean County is looking for a new warden for its
prison.
Warden Dennis Luther Friday told the Prison Board that he is
ready to move on, but will remain until they find a suitable
replacement.
Luther had submitted a memo with four options, including one
under which he would remain warden, but work a four day week.
While all discussion of the memo and other possibilities was
done in a closed executive session, Luther said after the meeting
that while the four day week might suit him during the winter, he
wanted more free time during the summer.
He also pointed out that he had initially taken the job with the
idea that it was temporary, “for at least six months,” and that he
had been warden for nine months now.
“I never intended to make it a career,” he said, pointing out
that the board wanted some stability; “a warden that will
stay.”
The board created a search committee made up of Luther, McKean
County Commissioner Cliff Lane and Human Services Director Michele
Alfieri to write the job description, advertise and begin the
process of funding a suitable applicant. No salary was given; the
search committee will apparently recommend a range for board
approval.
Luther emphasized that he is willing to stay on until the new
warden is firmly in place, “If that doesn’t take too long.
He noted that he has no intention of retiring, but would pursue
other interests in consulting and perhaps teaching.
It was also announced that interviews had been held for a new
deputy warden for operations. And that a person had been chosen;
however the successful applicant was hesitating about accepting the
position.
Alfieri told the board that a second applicant would also be
suitable and would be offered the position if the first one
declined.
Corrections officers Bill Bailey and Andy Dalton gave a
presentation on the need for increased electronic surveillance in
and around the facility.
Dalton showed a large drawing of the prison, with different
colors indicating that about a third of the areas were out of range
of present video cameras.
He said that either more cameras or more officers were needed
for security and safety reasons in areas from visiting and
counseling rooms to the gym and outside areas.
About a dozen additional cameras are needed; ideally the cameras
should be movable and the system should be capable of recording,
Dalton explained.
“If we could get it all now, that would be great, but [the
cameras are a minimum],” he said.
Commissioners John Egbert and Lane agreed that they were aware
of the need and were looking at funding for a new system in next
year’s budget.
Treatment Director/Counselor Melinda Goodwin reported on her
department, which includes herself and a nurse and will soon
include a Life Skills Instructor and efforts to reduce prescription
drug use by inmates; to change behavior to keep them from ending up
back in prison.
She said that there is a “tremendous sense of entitlement” among
inmates, who seem to believe that the county should provide
“everything under the sun,” including medical services they never
had on the outside.
She noted that part of the counseling and teaching at the
prisoners the promotion of good health routines, and that the
effect could be to promote good health county-wide.
Goodwin also talked about reducing the use of psychotropic drugs
among inmates, noting that there is no value to keeping prisoners
drugged up.
While reducing pharmaceutical use would also cut high medical
costs, “It’s not about medications, it’s about changing
behavior.”
In his report, the warden said while the change in the way meals
are purchased had reduced costs greatly, the prison had expended
about 75 percent of its budget and stands to come out slightly
over-budget if costs continue as they are.
The prison is still chronically overcrowded, Luther reported,
averaging 80 inmates in a facility designed for 69.
He noted that the prison is ready to start a pilot program using
Global Positioning Satellite technology to keep track of work
release inmates.
Luther’s memo to the board also came in for some indirect
discussion; a representative of the American Federation of State,
County and Municipal employees, which represents the corrections
officers, showed Luther a clipping of a newspaper article on the
memo, and pointed out a quote in which the warden said that it
would be impossible to achieve excellence within the current union
contract.
“I hope this is taken out of context,” he said, “If not it’s
very upsetting to us.”
He went on to say that the union is willing to discuss issues
and that he did not want to battle in the press.
Luther replied that the memo was supposed to be an internal one
to the board members, and that some of the issues had been
discussed with the union.
District Attorney John Pavlock offered that, “It is unfortunate
that the memo was released without proper procedure and
questions.”
The position of warden is the second county position to which
Luther was named. On Jan. 15, 2004, he was named county
administrator by the New Directions Team. He was chosen from a
field of 19 candidates.
Less than a week after being named to the position, Luther
stepped down before he ever officially took office, citing personal
reasons.
Later in the year, Luther was hired to perform a study on the
McKean County Jail. In that study, one of the recommendations he
made was that the McKean County Sheriff’s Department should be
separated from the jail and a warden should be hired.
He was then named acting warden in December and warden on Jan.
1, 2005.
