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| DOC report raises morale questions at Lackawanna County prison |
| By citizensvoice.com - David Singleton |
| Published: 02/27/2012 |
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Scranton, PA -- Warden Robert McMillan took charge of the Lackawanna County Prison last summer with a stated goal of changing the culture at the jail. But change also brings uncertainty, and the warden suspects that is one reason employees gave the prison a 28 percent poor rating on staff morale issues during its most recent state Department of Corrections inspection. In an inspection report that found the prison in 100 percent compliance with statewide correctional standards, the staff morale evaluation - part of a "facility character profile" based on confidential surveys of inmates and staff - stands out as an anomaly. In contrast, the prison received only a 5 percent poor rating from staff for both operations and communication. McMillan, who pointed out the flipside of the 28 percent poor rating on morale was a 72 percent rating of satisfactory or better, said there is always going to be a level of employee dissatisfaction in any organization, particularly at a time of change. "I would say the staff here is supportive of the change. They want to see change. They want to make the prison better," he said. "I can't emphasize that enough - they really do want this place to turn." At the same time, he said, some changes have not been universally popular, including requiring staff members to remain within the secure perimeter of the jail during their shifts. "They're not allowed to go out and have a cigarette. They're not allowed to go out and go to lunch. Now they stay in-house," he said. "Big change brings the unknown. People look at the unknown and ask why we need the change. That contributes to the morale part of it." Department of Corrections spokeswoman Susan Bensinger said the facility character profile is developed through discussions with inmates and staff members who are asked to rate a facility on a variety of elements in several different categories. For a jail of Lackawanna's size, it would typically involve three to five inmates and an equal number of staff, she said. Read More. |
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