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| Jail staffing laws gain support in state Legislature |
| By Ottaway News Service |
| Published: 03/01/2004 |
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Legislation to regulate staffing levels for Pennsylvania corrections officers is gaining momentum with the bipartisan backing of House leaders. House Minority leader William DeWeese, D-Greene, and House Appropriations Chairman David Argall, R-Schuylkill, are jointly sponsoring legislation to put more teeth in the minimum staffing ratios set at the 25 state correctional institutions across Pennsylvania. This would affect staffing at SCI's in the northeast region at Waymart in Wayne County and Dallas and Retreat in Luzerne County. The two lawmakers are responding to calls by the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association, the union representing the 10,000 corrections officers, to address what it regards as a serious understaffing problem. The legislation would require the corrections department to adhere to recommended staffing levels set by its own policies and not exceed a 135 percent threshold of total inmate capacity at each institution. The staffing levels determine how many officers and other employees are needed to provide 24-hour coverage at key locations. The lawmakers say the department and union would still carry the responsibility for determining the actual staffing levels. The average inmate overcapacity at the institutions is currently at 118 percent, they point out. |
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