Luzerne County prison head says cost-containment efforts underway

Before presenting a prison budget that seeks $2.25 million more next year, Luzerne County’s Acting Correctional Services Division Head John Robshaw highlighted a series of newer initiatives aimed at cost containment Tuesday.

The county’s highest expense for years, the prison system budget is proposed at $32.1 million in 2023. That covers the main prison on Water Street and the minimal offenders building on nearby Reichard Street, both in Wilkes-Barre.

Approximately 600 inmates are currently housed in the prison system, which has a staff of 334.

Robshaw told county council the prison administration has been working with the union to reduce the number of corrections officers required per shift when conditions permit, which should result in overtime savings.

“We’re going to be doing that throughout this coming year, and it will give us a better handle on what to look towards in 2024,” he said.

He’s also awaiting county law office review of a proposed kitchen management contract that may save $150,000 to $200,000 on food costs annually. The outside company can cut costs per meal because it operates in many states and has expertise in planning menus and purchasing the correct amount of food at the best prices, Robshaw said.

The budget requests $2.2 million for overtime, or $840,000 more. Spending on meals is proposed at $1.3 million, which would be an increase of $335,000.

Among other changes in recent months, Robshaw said the prison has:

• Performed corrections officer training in-house and streamlined training modules.

• Handled more maintenance internally when outsourcing costs more.

• Implemented protocol on the scheduling of medical appointments for inmates, reducing staff time spent transporting and supervising.

• Used inmate labor for grounds maintenance and facility cleaning.

“Some of these ideas we won’t have a full idea of the potential impact for savings until we go through this year, but it should help us in the budget year 2024,” Robshaw said.

Prison administrators are developing a long-term plan projecting major expenses needed at the prison so council has more time to figure out how they will be funded, said Robshaw, who serves as deputy warden and was made acting prison overseer last month when Mark Rockovich took time off under the Family and Medical Leave Act.

A prison contractual services budget line went from zero to $359,000 in the proposed budget to include funds for a prison study and maintenance of a body scanner that detects drugs, weapons and other contraband hidden by incoming inmates.

Robshaw said $250,000 of the request is for the prison study. Stressing the decision is up to council, he suggested council consider holding off, saying he does not know if a study is a “wise tactic at this point.”

Council had asked the administration to seek an outside expert to assess future prison options because the facility on Water Street has an inefficient layout and requires significant maintenance. Possibilities include expansion of the current prison, takeover of the former State Correctional Institution at Retreat in Newport Township, new prison construction somewhere else or partnering with other counties to construct a regional prison facility.

Councilman Carl Bienias III said council may revisit an original idea to use a portion of the county’s federal American Rescue Plan allocation to fund the prison study.

Regarding the body scanner, Robshaw said it requires yearly maintenance and inspection but has become a valuable tool, saying he would love to have another one for the minimal offenders building, realizing the county cannot afford a second one at this time.

Council Vice Chairman John Lombardo and Councilwoman LeeAnn McDermott said they would like to explore bringing back a drug detection dog.

Past correctional services division head J. Allen Nesbitt had eliminated the prison canine program in 2014, based largely on an outside consultant’s recommendation it would save money. Nesbitt had said other local police departments and the state Department of Corrections have agreed to provide canine assistance if the need arises.

Critics had argued the steady presence of a canine in the Water Street facility provided safety benefits worth the investment. The county spent $11,054 in 2012 for the food, veterinary care and training of four dogs in addition to compensation for prison K-9 officers to keep the dogs at their homes.

Robshaw said a prison dog would be a great asset to search cells and serve as a deterrent, but he agreed with Councilman Tim McGinley that costs must be fully considered before proceeding.

Council is free to make budgetary changes before the Dec. 15 budget adoption deadline, and a majority of council members have said they want to avoid or minimize any tax increase.

Council would have to identify approximately $7.1 million in cuts or new revenue to avoid a proposed 6.75% increase, which equates to $55 more annually for the average property assessed at $132,776.

American Rescue

In other business Tuesday, council members participated in a training session to ensure their upcoming review and evaluation of American Rescue Plan applicants is merit-based as required.

The 139 outside funding requests total $218.9 million, which far exceeds the $94.3 million left for council to award after deducting prior American Rescue earmarks. An additional $17.9 million in requests were submitted from within county government.

Council agreed Tuesday it will set aside $60 million in funds for outside awards.

Council also voted to transfer $42,000 in unused salary funds from the public defender’s budget to county court so it can secure legal defense for indigent residents charged with misdemeanors.

Chief Public Defender Steven Greenwald’s office stopped providing required representation for non-incarcerated, income-eligible individuals charged with misdemeanors due to significant staff attorney vacancies in the office. The office continues to provide defense for indigent citizens charged with felonies and also inmates facing misdemeanors.

County Court of Common Pleas President Judge Michael T. Vough has said the situation cannot be ignored because the county is legally required to provide the representation. Now that the transfer is approved, the court will hire four contract attorneys paid $3,500 per month to represent the indigent, Vough has said.