1/5/17
by News Department on 01/05/17Commissioners work to solve overcrowding...
Prison overcrowding, paying for human services, and building projects loom large as Schuylkill County commissioners plan out 2017.
The board reorganized on Tuesday, with George F. Halcovage Jr. continuing as chairman. Halcovage, along with commissioners Gary J. Hess and Frank J. Staudenmeier, talked about their priority issues for the coming year. Chief among them were continuing to resolve the problem of too many inmates housed in the aging county jail in Pottsville.
Commissioners have been sending overflow inmates to out-of-county jails since the state Department of Corrections placed a 277-person cap on the prison population in May.
The plan works, but it’s expensive at $60 per inmate per day. Last month, about 48 inmates were housed in Berks, Centre, Columbia and Delaware counties.
County Administrator Gary R. Bender said the county is talking with three entities to explore programs and services that would provide the most cost-effective plans for inmates.
Hess also cautioned that commissioners are keeping a keen eye on spending in order to avoid future tax increases.
