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| Westmoreland prison short of counseling |
| By .pittsburghlive.com |
| Published: 02/02/2010 |
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State budget cuts have left a backlog of inmates at Westmoreland County Prison who need drug and alcohol counseling, resulting in the release of fewer prisoners on parole. Warden John Walton said yesterday that there is a waiting list for inmates to enroll in the Intensive Outpatient Program. In many cases, judges require inmates to complete that program before they are released from jail. "We may now keep people for seven or eight months when we used to keep them for six weeks," Walton said. The backlog was created by state budget cuts to alcohol-treatment programs. Those cuts caused the Westmoreland County Drug and Alcohol Commission to cut one counselor's position, leaving only one assigned to the prison to run the six-week program. Walton said there are 14 inmates on the waiting list, meaning that instead of being released from jail in about six weeks, they could be held for a half-year or more. "That number is going to continue to grow," Walton said. County Commissioner Tom Ceraso, who serves as chairman of the prison board, said one solution is for county taxpayers to foot the bill for more counselors. Read More. |
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