Keen and His Teaching Gigs

CPT David Collins, who works for NorCo Corrections, has been suspended (with pay) for making "unfounded allegations" about Corrections Director Dan Keen. He first followed his chain of command, going to a Deputy Warden. He was told that Keen would speak with him, but was ignored. So he went to Human Resources Director Amy Trapp. Her response was to suspend him in an attempt to silence a whistleblower exercising his First Amendment rights.

I'm unable to say whether CPT Collins is right about everything, but know he is acting in good faith. I also know his complaints about Keen's outside employment are very well founded.

Let me share what I know with you. In addition to being the Corrections Director, Keen is also a paid instructor with Penn State's Justice and Safety Institute.(JASI).

In September 2015, he was paid $240 to assist JASI with a service presentation. Since I do not have the date of this presentation, I am unable to say whether he was being paid by the County at the same time.

From January 18-20, 2016, Keen taught a First Line Supervision course in Hudson County, NJ. He was paid $600 by JASI as a stipend, and also claimed $660.88 in expenses. January 18 was MLK Day, a holiday in Northampton County. But January 19th and 20th were regular work days and Keen's time card report shows him at work during days when he was actually in New Jersey. He received $402.88 per day from Northampton County for the 19th and 20th while getting paid $200 per day by JASI to teach a course for corrections officers.

This facially appears to be some form of double dipping.

From May 1-5, 2017, Keen was paid $600 by JASI to teach a leadership and command course in the slate belt. This was just two weeks after Controller Steve Barron issued a report recommending that there be stronger controls over outside travel. Keen decided to take one personal day. The remaining days are reported as regular work days.

On June 12-14, 2017, Keen was paid another $600 by JASI to teach first line supervision. He took one personal day, but his time card report shows him at the courthouse and on duty on those other days. This is the course that Keen insisted his lieutenants attend. He took either four or five of them, even though that left CPT Collins short-handed at the jail. These officers had to go to Penn State for a course that Keen could have taught here. The County spent $1800 just for the course, to say nothing of the travel expenses.

It appears that Keen used the authority of his office to recruit these lieutenants and beef up his class size. He benefited financially. In this situation, the prudent practice would be for Keen to use his stipend to reduce the cost of this class to his lieutenants and continue to receive his county pay. That way, no one could accuse him of packing the course so he could get paid. In fact, this practice is followed in other counties

Can anyone say state Ethics Act?

Amazingly, Collins is the one who has been suspended.

In the interest of fairness, I presented Director Keen with this story and asked him to set me straight about any factual error I may have made. He has declined to respond.

My experience with him is that he has a deep sense of personal integrity, but I am troubled by these gigs.

NorCo Corrections' Gifts For Kids Program

Easton, PA – Tuesday December 8, 2015 — The Northampton County Department of Corrections announces the “Gifts for Kids” program designed to provide a gift to children of incarcerated individuals. The program will provide a child, ages two through twelve, with a note from a prison staff member and a gift from their incarcerated parent. Gifts will be donated by County Corrections’ staff and volunteers as well at approved collection centers.

“This program intends to promote a sense of community and is designed to reach children of incarcerated parents who hope for a Christmas filled with joy. This small gesture helps to create and strengthen a positive connection between incarcerated parents and their children during difficult times”, says Northampton County Director of Corrections, Dan Keen.

Donations for the “Gifts for Kids” program will be accepted from December 10 to 25, 2015. For additional information please contact Chaplain Christopher Santos at 610-923-4329 or csantos@northamptoncounty.org.

Unwrapped Gifts can be dropped off at an approved collection center:

St John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 330 Ferry St., Easton PA; 610 258 6119 Drop off times: M-F 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, Sun. 9-11 am

Pentecostal Christian Church, 4 Jory Ave., Pen Argyl PA; 570 807 7794; Drop off times: Sun. 12-5 pm

(Blogger's Note: This is a news release.)

$5.5 Million Treatment Program Approved For Inmates

Over Lamont McClure's claims that it's unnecessary, Northampton County Council has approved a $5.5 million program designed to prevent inmates from returning to jail. At their December 12 meeting, by a 5-1 vote, Council approved a five-year contract with Community Education Centers to provide substance abuse programs called the Future Foundation program for men, Sister to Sister program for women and the West Easton Treatment Facility program.

"It's a lotta' money," complained McClure, who said prison policy should be decided by the next administration. "I've seen no evidence that is justified," he added. He argued that education, not treatment, is what reduces recidivism, noting that 1/3 of the inmates have no high school diploma. Corrections Director Arnie Matos countered that he has seen jails with and without treatment programs.

"This way works," he insisted.

"You're wrong," answered McClure.

Council member Tom Dietrich worried that that they were setting prison policy for the next administration. "You can cancel this with three months notice. What are you talking about?" answered Stoffa.

Matos told Council of one suicidal female inmate who went through the Community Education Center program and claimed it saved her life and gave her a reason to live.

"How do I put a price on that?" he asked.

Unmoved, McClure said the treatment could be done by volunteers at no cost to the County. But he was a minority of one. The contract was approved by John Cusick, Tom Dietrich, Peg Ferraro, Scott Parsons and Bob Werner.  Barb Thierry, Bruce Gilbert and Ken Kraft were absent.

In their final act of business of the year, Council appropriated $5,000 grants from their contingency fund for the following:

* Stephen's Place, a halfway house for non-violent males recovering from addiction;
* Slate Belt YMCA, which is under construction;
* The Miracle League, which allows differently abled children to experience the joy of baseball;
* Pennsylvania Water Rescue, which performs rescue operations along the Lehigh and Delaware Rivers; and
* College Hill Neighborhood Association, for improvements to Nevin and Eddyside Parks.