While Brad Mason talked to The Era about possibly recombining
the sheriff’s department and McKean County Jail, he also spoke out
on his opinions of recent happenings with the jail, prison board
and county officials.

Mason said that, in his opinion, “the inmates have all the
rights” at the jail now.

He referred to a memo written by Luther and sent anonymously to
the press in which Luther said, “it is not possible to achieve
excellence within the constraints of the current union contract.
Also, the culture is so firmly entrenched that while it can be
changed, it will never be where I would like to see it as long as
the current staff are in place.”

“For someone in charge of a place to degrade and talk down to
them in public…” Mason said, shaking his head in anger.

When a reporter pointed out that the memo was meant to be
internal and was sent to the press without Luther’s knowledge or
permission, Mason said, “That’s most definitely his opinion on
those people. You don’t put it on paper unless you mean it.

“Those people are professionals,” Mason said of the jail’s
staff. “They represent the county. Those people who work there have
dedicated years to that position.

“That’s not how you deal with people. Ask anybody in law
enforcement. You’re only as good as the people around you. If
you’re degrading the people around you, that’s ridiculous.”

When contacted Wednesday evening and offered a chance to comment
or respond to Mason’s remarks, Luther said, “I’m not in any contest
with Mr. Mason. I’ve never met the man.

“I don’t know what his agenda is. I know I don’t have one,”
Luther said. “That’s his opinion. What am I supposed to say?

“I’m not going to play these silly little games. I’m an adult,”
he said.

Luther declined to comment any further.

Mason had also addressed his observations on some ongoing
tension and adversity in the county operations.

“There’s an adversarial stance from the current warden toward
Sheriff Morey,” Mason said. “It shouldn’t be that way. Everybody
should be working together.

“The sheriff’s position is a prestigious position. By law, he’s
the most powerful law enforcement agent in the county. He deserves
that respect.

“Treat the person who is in that office with dignity,” Mason
said. “The warden is not. The warden is an agent of the
commissioners. They are letting the adversarial conditions go
on.”

Personal feelings should take a back seat to professional
relationships, Mason added.

“I’m tired of hearing about all the bad things,” he said. He
referred to inmates who have walked away from the work release or
community service programs while incarcerated at the jail.

Mason spelled out some changes he would make as warden.

There should be criteria in place to evaluate any inmate who
leaves the jail for work release or community service or any
reason, Mason said. An inmate should be determined trustworthy
before he or she ever leaves the jail. If they are not, a group of
inmates could work under the supervision of an armed guard.

“They need to know the consequences if they take off,” he said.
And any misconduct means an immediate revocation of the “privilege
of community service.”

“They’ll be inside locked up where they belong,” Mason said.

Inmates who are non-violent and are eligible for work release
should be evaluated for conduct, demeanor and their work record
before being released into the program, he added.