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| Pennsylvania Prison Layoffs Suspended |
| By The Sentinel |
| Published: 10/03/2005 |
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A Pennsylvania prison workers' union filed a grievance against Perry County in the layoffs of three corrections officers because of a low prison population. Last week, the prison board suspended its decision but not because of the grievance, says county Solicitor William Bunt. The prison stands to receive up to 20 federal prisoners under a 1992 contract with the U.S. Marshall's office, Bunt says, which would make the layoffs unnecessary. "When they found out we had space, they contacted us. It will take a couple weeks to do the paperwork necessary," Bunt says. Should the deal fall through, layoffs still would be necessary, he says. A decision on reinstating the furloughs would be made at the Oct. 18 board meeting, but meanwhile letters were going out today to inform the officers affected, he says. Just who the prisoners might be and from where is unknown to Perry officials, Bunt says. "We have not had any federal prisoners for many, many years. I don't know if we've ever had them." Teamsters Local 776, which represents 23 Perry prison officers, took issue with the layoffs because they involved only corrections officers, not lieutenants and administrators, says Mark Andreozzi of the union. Union officials didn't question the need for the layoffs inmate population at the prison that can house 137 men was 61 last week when the prison board voted to lay off Jason Harvey, Dallas Kirk and Doug Singleton effective Oct. 9. Five of the 61 prisoners were from Huntingdon County, Bunt says. Prison officials have 14 days to respond to the grievance, Andreozzi says, then the union has another 14 days to respond to the prison to negotiate a solution. Perry's average monthly prison population fluctuated between 70 and 90 prisoners in 2004 and was steady at about 70 in the first half of this year. In July, the numbers dropped to about 60 and increased to the high 60s in August, prison documents show. The prison is required to maintain a 15-to-one ratio of inmates to guards, Andreozzi says. Perry has no facilities for women prisoners, so they are sent to Cumberland or other neighboring counties. |
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