Attorney: Penn. County Settlement Not Enough for Inmates

Article Tools Print This Page | Comments(0) | Suggest a Story

By Allentown Morning Call

Published: 05/20/2002

An attorney representing women inmates who sued Bucks County Prison said she is ready to accept a $500,000 renovation plan for the women's wing, but other issues in the lawsuit remain unresolved.
Specifically, Doylestown attorney Anita F. Alberts said, the county commissioners have resisted the notion of creating a new board to oversee operation of the Corrections Department. Alberts, who met for more than three hours Thursday with attorneys for the county and U.S. Magistrate Diane Devlin Welsh, said she proposed establishing a new prison oversight board that would include citizen representation.
Attorney James A. Downey, who represents the county in the suit, said Alberts' proposal is unlikely to be accepted by the commissioners. The commissioners have long maintained that they alone have the responsibility for running the prison, he said.
''The commissioners will run the prison,'' Downey said. ''They will continue to run the prison.''
Nevertheless, both sides said considerable progress was made in the conference with Welsh toward settling the lawsuit, which was originally filed about five years ago.
The major feature of the settlement is the renovation of the women's wing to include a separate mental health unit for the inmates.
Since the prison in Doylestown Township was constructed in the mid-1980s, women in the general population have been forced to share quarters with mentally ill women. The lawsuit claims such living arrangements have led to a stressful and dangerous situation.
There are usually about 80 women among the 600 inmates housed at the prison. Men with psychiatric illnesses are kept in separate housing.
Downey declined to talk about the specifics of the renovations, but Alberts said an architect has developed drawings and the county is close to publishing specifications for the work and seeking bids. Also, Alberts said, she understands the county is seeking a state grant to help pay for the renovations.
E. Ronald Watson, county communications director, said the county applied to the state Corrections Department for several prison-related grants Wednesday to assist in the purchase of electronic bracelets for monitoring house-arrest inmates and to make renovations to the prison kitchen. As for the renovation of the women's wing, Watson said, ''There are some women-related issues I can't get into.''
Said Alberts, ''We have to move. The facilities there now do not meet what is needed for minimum standards.''
A task force established by Welsh to examine conditions for women at the prison concluded that mentally ill women should not be housed in the general population. The task force also recommended establishment of a prison oversight board, but Welsh ruled that the commissioners are under no legal responsibility to create such a board. Alberts countered that the law provides the commissioners with the option of creating the oversight board.
Currently, the commissioners have direct control over the corrections department. There is a Bucks County Prison Advisory Board, which is composed of the commissioners, district attorney, president judge, sheriff and controller, but the board has no authority to hire or dismiss staff, sign contracts or spend money.
Downey said the board's activities have increased in recent months. The board formerly met quarterly, he said, but now convenes once a month. In addition, Downey said, the board is participating in the recruitment of new management for the prison.
Alberts said she asked that three citizens be appointed to the board, and that their appointments be made by somebody other than the commissioners. Alberts said she suggested the citizens be named to the board by the president judge.

Comments:

No comments have been posted for this article.

Login to let us know what you think

MARKETPLACE search vendors | advanced search