Westmoreland jail population declines; Allegheny jail serves as model during pandemic
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The number of adults and juveniles incarcerated in Westmoreland County corrections facilities continued to drop over the past week as the jail and juvenile detention center saw fewer new commitments while the public deals with the coronavirus pandemic.
The jail had 519 inmates Monday, a decrease of more than 40 over the past seven days, Warden John Walton said during a county prison board meeting. Walton, along with District Attorney John Peck and Commissioner Doug Chew, met in person in a courthouse conference room. Commissioners Sean Kertes and Gina Cerilli, along with Controller Jeff Balzer and Sheriff James Albert, attended via telephone.
The inmate reduction was a result of some who were transferred to state prisons, including 11 on Monday, while others were moved, as scheduled, to inpatient drug rehabilitation programs, Walton said.
County officials have said there are no plans to substantially lower the inmate population through general releases.
Allegheny County releases more than 600 inmates
That’s not the case in Allegheny County. Officials there have released 622 inmates from the Allegheny County Jail over the last two weeks in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus .
That’s more than triple the 189 inmates that were slated for release March 19, and roughly one-quarter of the jail’s inmate population prior to their release. There were 1,816 people who remained incarcerated as of Tuesday, according to the county.
Model county
To prevent the spread of covid-19 in Pennsylvania’s jails, the American Civil Liberties Union petitioned the state Supreme Court to take fast action to order the release of inmates who are at a higher risk of contracting the disease and others who are in jail awaiting trial or serving time for minor offenses.
Courts in New Jersey, Maine, Montana, South Carolina and Washington have taken similar measures, and the action would mimic those taken by Allegheny County judges and the district attorney’s office, the petition says.
Allegheny County District Attorney’s Office spokesman Mike Manko said the DA’s office started identifying high-risk jail inmates about two weeks ago and since have removed hundreds with the collaboration of attorneys and court administrators.
Those released are mainly nonviolent offenders, Manko said.
The ACLU’s petition shows that Allegheny County is being used as a model for other counties to follow in Pennsylvania, Manko said.
“We are dealing with an intersection of public safety and public health that has never happened before,” he said.
Officials are working to balance the importance of public safety with the rights of victims of crimes, Manko said.
The DA’s office continues to oppose the release of those charged with crimes including homicide, aggravated assault, rape, child sexual assault, child physical abuse and domestic violence where the same victim has been assaulted more than once, Manko said.
The ACLU’s petition was filed on behalf of the Pennsylvania Prison Society and five people detained in Pennsylvania jails around the commonwealth and it is joined by the Public Defender Association.
The state Supreme Court hasn’t ruled on the request.
Slowed entry
Just 10 new inmates were confined to the Westmoreland jail over the past week, including one over the weekend.
Walton said additional precautions in response to the coronavirus were enacted to ensure the safety of inmates, guards and other staff. No outside visitors are permitted, and all new inmates are placed in isolation for five days before being released into general population, he said. Medical visits from nurses are being conducted in cells, while maintenance crews started additional cleaning of phones, tablets and door handles.
Because there are no court hearings, inmates are not being exposed to outside environments, Walton said.
“We’re trying to limit the exposure,” Walton said, noting that no inmates or staffers at the Hempfield facility have been linked to the coronavirus. Allegheny County officials reported last week a staffer there tested positive for coronavirus.
State corrections officials announced Monday that it locked down its prisons after an inmate tested positive for coronavirus.
Meanwhile, the Westmoreland County juvenile detention center’s population also substantially decreased over the past month.
Deputy Director Nicole Kramer said the 16-bed facility averaged 14 inmates in February. It housed five juveniles on Monday, she said.
The reduction is part of a calculated effort to reduce the number of children in the facility during the pandemic, according to Common Pleas Juvenile Court Judge Michele Bononi.
“We’re trying to keep as many kids out of the juvenile detention center as possible and relying more on electronic monitoring,” Bononi said.