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| Pa. Judge Frees Inmates to Ease Prison Overcrowding |
| By Associated Press |
| Published: 03/05/2003 |
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A judge released 51 inmates who had been jailed for failing to pay child support, an attempt to ease severe overcrowding at Northampton County Prison. Eleven of them were already on house arrest, so the release only frees up 40 beds at the county prison. Warden Todd Buskirk said he plans to recall 40 of the 85 county inmates who are serving their sentences in Lackawanna and Monroe county jails because of the overcrowding. Northampton County pays other counties between $55 and $60 per day to house inmates in the other counties' jails. Buskirk estimated that recalling the 40 prisoners will save the county $2,200 per day. 'Anything that frees up beds is a good thing, and we're grateful to the judiciary for taking a look at this,' county Administration Director James Hickey said. Court Administrator James Onembo said Administrative Judge Stephen Baratta's order should not be interpreted to mean that the court is easy on deadbeats. 'It should not be construed that the court views non-support any less seriously than it did in the past. (Judges) will continue to use incarceration as an option for those people who continue to demonstrate willful contempt,' Onembo said. |
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