Blair inmate population drops
HOLLIDAYSBURG — The Blair County Prison's inmate population was reported to be 325 on Thursday, down from its highest levels that exceeded 400 in May, June and July.
Prison board members said Thursday the decrease is likely a reflection of combined factors, including the transfer of more inmates to state prisons and recent efforts to resolve more criminal cases.
District Attorney Pete Weeks, a member of the county prison board, said Thursday that the extra days the judges added to their schedules for jury trials would be a factor in the population drop. Judges designated additional days this summer, outside scheduled trial terms, when jury trials could be scheduled.
While that didn't result in more jury trials, the district attorney said it was beneficial.
"It resulted in more (criminal case) resolutions than we were getting," Weeks said.
When a county inmate's criminal case is resolved with a state prison sentence, that inmate then becomes eligible for transfer. If the case is resolved for a sentence with no further incarceration or probation, that paves the way for the county inmate's release.
Based on reports presented Thursday, the county prison, between Aug. 12 and Sept. 12, released 210 inmates and admitted 175.
President Judge Wade A. Kagarise, who sits on the prison board, praised those who work in the county's court and criminal justice system for ongoing efforts to address pending cases. He said that includes defense attorneys who have stepped up and accepted criminal defense cases in light of a shortage of attorneys on the county's conflict panel.
"The court is making a concerted effort to be more efficient, to run things more aggressively and to get more done," the judge said.
Kagarise also referenced efforts that county parole and probation officers are making to address their cases when clients are taken into custody on detainers.
"We've dedicated some more court time to parole violations hearings, and that's resulted in people either being moved into the state-sentence category or being able to be released from incarceration, depending on the circumstances," the judge said.
Reports provided Thursday to the prison board showed the county's inmate population reached a high of 405 inmates in May, a high of 404 in June, a high of 400 in July. In August, the prison's population went as high as 383 inmates.
Warden Abbie Tate said Thursday that when the population reached those high points, inmates were housed in the gym. But that ended about two weeks ago, she said.
Kagarise also identified scheduling more than one trip a month — to transfer county inmates to a state facility — as another reason for the drop in the county prison population.
Tate has repeatedly told the prison board that the state controls the amount of state-sentenced inmates it accepts from the county prison. But the amount increased after the state opened the SCI Smithfield Male Inmate Classification Center in Huntingdon County.
This month, two trips are scheduled to transfer Blair County inmates, one to transfer men to SCI Smithfield and one to transfer women to SCI Muncy. In October, two trips to SCI Smithfield are scheduled.
As for whether the prison's inmate population stays down, only time will tell.
Kagarise says he continues to believe that if the county provided appropriate funding for the district attorney's office, the public defender's office, the parole and probation and the rest of the court system — and if the state appointed a judge to fill the county's current vacant seat — then the county prison population would drop even lower.
"I have no doubt whatsoever that if all that were to occur, then the (inmate population) number would be 250 or lower," the judge said. "But it's going to take a concerted effort with everyone involved and the appropriate funding."
State Sen. Judy Ward, R-30th District, said Thursday that efforts in Harrisburg to fill a group of vacant judicial seats materialized earlier this year, then stalled.
"I'm more hopeful than I was earlier this week, but it's still undecided," Ward said.
Kagarise also spoke Thursday of his interest in having commissioners create an account to help indigent inmates afford electronic monitoring devices, another option that would contribute to a lower jail population.
The use of those devices costs about $12 a day or $360 a month and those who fail to pay risk incarceration.
Commissioner Amy Webster asked about the possibility of grants from the state Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts to create the recommended account.
Kagarise said the AOPC grants are generally available for security-related improvements.
Mirror Staff Writer Kay Stephens is at 814-946-7456.
