NorCo COs Deny They Refused To Discuss Schedule Change

When Lew Donatelli's father passed away in March, his sister asked him to organize pictures his mother had taken over the years. He found five drawers filled with hundreds of them. When he began looking through them, he noticed something odd. He was absent from  most of these family celebrations and milestones. Not because he wanted to be. He had no choice. He is a Northampton County Corrections Officer (CO).

I recently met with Donatelli and Russell Attanasio, another CO who happens to be the union president. They were both on the negotiating team in the latest contract talks, which resulted in a binding arbitration award. They both want to respond to a recent NorCo op-ed, published here, concerning the manpower crisis and high turnover at the jail.

They are both long-time county employees, hired at a time when there was little turnover or overtime at the jail. They routinely were awarded step increases (4 1/2%) as they gained experience. A veteran officer received a lot more money than a new hire.

Times have changed.

According to these senior officers, the changes began with former County Executive Bill Brackbill. Pencil pushers is the county realized it was cheaper to mandate overtime at a 24/7 facility than make new hires. That practice continued and actually increased after Brackbill left. Last year, for example, both officers were mandated to work a second shift at least 25 times.

They met with me in response to two stories about the manpower crisis at the jail. I attributed the problem to low salaries. The county, in a separate unsigned op-ed, responded that salaries are comparable to what is paid elsewhere, and the real reason for the turnover is the union's unwillingness to change its schedule.

This was news to the union.

They want to correct this claim and what they say are other errors in the county response.

1) The Union Never Refused to Discuss Scheduling. - The County insists that overtime at the jail is "the Result of a Schedule Which the Union Does Not Want To Change." It argues this refusal led to $1.73 million in overtime in 2018. It even slurs corrections officers for taking vacations, which are no greater for them than the rest of the county workforce. "The facts demonstrate that the schedule that the COs work needs to be reformed to be fairer to all the COs and not just the most senior COs," claims the county.

Sounds good. Complete nonsense.

Donatelli and Attanasio were both astonished by this accusation because a change in scheduling was never brought up during any of the negotiation sessions with the county. Only two matters were discussed, health benefits and wages. Scheduling came up with the current administration for the first time during arbitration, along with proposed changes in 30 of 43 articles in the union contract.

Scheduling did come up once before, on August 12, 2015, during a meeting at the jail under former Executive John Brown. The County broached the subject of either 12-hour shifts or a 5 day on, 2 day off schedule.

These veteran correction officers had one question about a 12-hour schedule. What happens if you have to mandate someone? Wouldn't this mean an officer could be forced to work 36 hours straight?.

That was the last time a schedule change was broached.

How about five days on, two days off? "We'd have to be the two biggest dummies in Northampton County to say No to that," said Donatelli. Pointing to his and Attanasio's seniority, he said they'd be guaranteed every weekend off. But they are the two biggest dummies in Northampton County. They think this would be unfair to fellow corrections officers, and said there's a need to have some senior officers covering shifts.

As things stand now, these senior officers work every other weekend just like everyone else. They both resent the county's misrepresentation about them, and rightly so.

They both agree the real issue is retention.

They have always been willing to discuss changes in the schedule.

The County, if truly interested in solving the manpower crisis at the jail, could ask the union to discuss this matter

2) The County Saves Money By Paying $1.73 million in overtime. - A study of the jail conducted under former Executive John Brown concludes it should be manned by 44 more officers than the 203 currently assigned. But guess what? Those additional officers, at an average of $66,000 per year with benefits, would cost the County $2.7 million. So the County actually saves $1 million per year by mandating overtime instead of hiring people and paying them what they are worth.

This might be fiscally prudent. But it balances the budget on the backs of the county worker.

3) Does County Want Corrections Officers to Work With No Vacations? - In its op-ed, the County makes this complaint about corrections officers: "Data shows that the average CO at the prison works 1611 hours out of a 2080 hour work year. This means that the average CO is not available for 25% of the year, causing holes in the schedule." This language also appears in the statement of the County's Partial Arbitrator. The implication is guards are shirkers who only work when they feel like it.

The truth is that corrections officers, like everyone else who works for the county, get vacations and personal days, and those increase as they gain seniority. The "holes" are the result of earned vacations at a jail without enough officers.

Unlike everyone else at the county, these officers have to request vacations a year in advance.

Does the County want corrections officers to give up vacations and holidays?

If so, how long before other county workers are told to forget theirs as well?

If the data shows that there are holes in the schedule, doesn't this necessarily mean that more officers are needed?

This was an unfair argument.

4) The County Misrepresented Average Corrections Officer Salary. - The County contends the salaries paid to COs in NorCo are comparable and even better than elsewhere. It asserts, "In 2017 as of the expiration of the most recent labor contract, the average base salary for COs in Northampton County was $54,984. This excludes any overtime and bases average salary on where the County had the most COs—at seven years of service." Once again, this sounds good. Once again, it's completely untrue.

The average salary, in fact, does include overtime.

In fact, the average base salary in 2017, exclusive of overtime, was well below what was portrayed. It ranged from a low of $35,000 for new hires to $56,000 for officers with 18 or more years of experience.

The data used by the County is flawed.  This means that all the conclusions about how NorCo COs compare to other counties is equally flawed:

Donatelli and Attanasio wish to make clear they believe the County acted honestly, but erred and relied too heavily on written arguments made by labor lawyers..

 5) Addressing Turnover. - Both Donatelli and Attanasio agree the County is doing everything it can to attract officers in a job regarded by most as a "stepping stone." A class of 11 new guards just graduated on Friday. There still is a 25% turn over every year. Both argue this problem will persist until wages improve and salary compression stops.

Under the plan proposed by Executive Lamont McClure, officers would have received a step increase in the first year (4 1/2%) followed by two per cent raises in years two and three.

The problem is that anyone hired in 2018 is getting nothing. In the third year of the contract, these three-year veterans would be making no more money than someone who just walked in the door.

"We want the scale to function so that you move through the steps," they said. Right now, they claim it's impossible to reach the top step.

Since these veterans are already at the top of their scales, they are arguing for junior officers, not themselves.

Perhaps the County should listen.

NorCo Jail Manpower Crisis: The County Responds

On Monday, I reported that Northampton County jail has a manpower crisis after a meeting last week with a part the union negotiating team. My conclusion is that the County needs to pay more money to attract and retain officers. This conclusion is disputed by the county, which has submitted a response. Because there are two and sometimes three or four sides to every story, I am happy to post the county response, in its entirety. 

Recently, correctional officers and people advocating for correctional officers have lamented what they perceive to be inequitable compensation at the Northampton County Jail. The reality is that these perceptions are simply not borne out by the facts. Let’s start by talking about salaries.

The Data Shows That The Retroactive Salary Adjustments Awarded in the Arbitration Process Chosen By The Union Are Competitive With Neighboring Counties.

In 2017 as of the expiration of the most recent labor contract, the average base salary for COs in Northampton County was $54,984. This excludes any overtime and bases average salary on where the County had the most Cos—at seven years of service.

The COs and the County sought to negotiate a new contract following the expiration of the most recent labor contract. As was their right, the COs sought binding arbitration in front of a neutral third party arbitrator. While that occurred, the Parties remained in status quo, and the COs did not receive annual increases, for 2018 and half of 2019.

Going into the arbitration and looking at surrounding counties, Northampton’s 2017 average salary was already higher than the average 2019 salary for Lehigh County, Carbon County and Monroe County and was only $400 less than Bucks County and $2,500 less than Berks County. This, again, is based not on starting salaries but an apples to apples comparison of average CO
salaries.

Here’s why the average salary of Northampton’s COs at seven years was comparable in 2017. The facts demonstrate that the County had historically invested in CO salaries. For the period of 2008 to 2017, COs received wage increases totaling 43% - which is 30% over CPI for that same period and averages 4.3% per year.

At arbitration the Union’s proposal sought to address a salary inequity which did not really exist. The Union proposed to increase wages 28% in year one only, plus $0.90 per year increases for each subsequent year, roughly 10% total for the remainder of the contract. Nearly a 40% increase over the term. The County could not afford this.

After hours of testimony and discussion, the neutral third party arbitrator provided retroactive wage increases of $0.75/hour in both 2018 and 2019, which based upon a 2080 hour work year, amounted to a total increase of $3,120 per officer. This is the same neutral third party arbitrator who decided the arbitration award resulting in the salaries contained in the 2013-2017 labor contract so he was hardly unfair to the COs either now or in the past.

So, now, using the adjusted 2019 numbers, Northampton County’s average salary is now well above every neighboring County – at the high end, $620/year above Berks County, at the low end, nearly $20,000/year above Carbon County. And, Lehigh County, the marker most often used by the Union, is now $4,100 below Northampton County.

The bottom line is this—data confirms that salaries are comparable and fair. If the data showed otherwise, the neutral third party arbitrator selected in part by the Union would have awarded different salaries.

Overtime Is the Result of a Schedule Which the Union Does Not Want To Change

Let’s now turn to overtime which is another subject that we’ve heard about. The Union claims that overtime is rampant leading to overworked employees.

Here’s why this happens. Data shows that the average CO at the prison works 1611 hours out of a 2080 hour work year. This means that the average CO is not available for 25% of the year, causing holes in the schedule.

In addition, the contract provides that COs — who are expected to work shift work in a 24/7, 365 day a year facility — are entitled to have every other weekend off. In order to meet that mandate, the County must use overtime to cover shifts where COs are required to be off.

In 2018, the total cost of overtime was $1.73 million; nearly $1 million of that cost is directly attributable to the fact the every other weekend off language.

At arbitration, the County sought to eliminate this language from the contract in order to make the schedule more equitable. The County was open to any solutions which the parties could make work. The Union strenuously objected to the removal of this language and, as a result, the schedule remained unaddressed.

The question is why? Who benefits from a schedule that costs more money and makes union members unhappy and unsatisfied? It’s not the County which made proposals to change the schedule and make it more fair. The bottom line is this: if the COs do not like the amount of overtime but also don’t work a 2080 hour/40 hour a week year, then they have to either work the overtime or choose to be partners in reforming the schedule to make it equitable.

The County Is Doing Everything It Can to Recruit and Retain COs

The primary claim that some make is that COs are leaving and, therefore, the Jail cannot be staffed. This is just an excuse and it is not backed up by the facts.

The County employs roughly 198 COs. Typically, the Prison sees about 25% annual turnover.

Of that turnover rate, about 40% is due to employee retirements, death or terminations (in other words, employees who are not doing their job to keep inmates and each other safe). If an employee either passes away or retires, then the best that the County can do is try to replace that officer as quickly as possible. That is why the current Administration has run training academies to attract, train and replace COs multiple times during the last two years.

For those COs who are terminated for poor performance, the County has no choice but to maintain the standard of professionalism which the rest of the COs observe. It is neither fair nor right to keep a CO at his position simply to provide overtime relief if he or she is not safe.

What is significant is that the data shows that less than 2% of turnover is attributable to an employee leaving to be a CO in another county, the reason for which is obvious when looking at Northampton’s wages as compared to surrounding Counties. That means that there is not a better paying job or better schedule for which Northampton COs are leaving. This would seem to validate that the County is paying a competitive wage and providing more than competitive benefits.

Here’s what people don’t tell you. 25% of the departures were due to the employee moving to a different line of work – including law enforcement. That CO positions are often a stepping stone to law enforcement is a well-known fact – not just in Northampton County, but statewide.

The fact of the matter is that the County’s turnover rate at the jail is not unusual for the size of the unit and the type of work performed.

The Future of the Jail

Work in corrections is a calling. It is a difficult job dealing with individuals in crisis. The County’s professional correctional officers work hard to provide a safe and secure facility. But like all workplaces, there is a need for constant vigilance and, where possible improvement. That takes both sides to come together.

We have just come through thoroughly litigated process where professionals used data to make the best determination possible regarding the compensation package for the correctional officers. Where parties don’t reach a deal on their own, there can be some hard feelings as a deal is made for you rather than you having the opportunity to make your own compromise.

The facts demonstrate that the arbitration panel placed the COs in a competitive position with regard to salaries and total compensation. The facts demonstrate that there is no basis to suggest that more money would result directly in more COs coming to or staying at the Jail. Retention just cannot be reduced to a simplistic formula.

But things could be better. The facts demonstrate that the schedule that the COs work needs to be reformed to be fairer to all the COs and not just the most senior COs. If that adds to the quality of life for the COs and is fair to both the County and its taxpayers, the County is willing to look at any proposal which can safely staff the Jail at an equal or reduced cost to the taxpayers. The question is this: are people more invested in complaining about a problem that data demonstrates does not exist or are they motivated to work cooperatively to improve their conditions of work?

NorCo Jail Has Manpower Crisis

Last week, I sat down with part of the corrections' officer union team that sought binding arbitration after negotiations with the County failed. The biggest complaint I heard is not about pay or benefits. It's manpower. As fast as the County can hire corrections officers, that's how fast they leave. Nothing in the arbitration award really addresses this problem. But the status quo is unacceptable.

Before I get into details, I need to correct myself. I was critical of the negotiation team when I wrote about the arbitration award. This led some corrections officers to claim they had been sold out. I poured gasoline on that fire when I said, in comments, that the initial union proposal contained a demand that the personal vehicle of every corrections officer should receive a $200 detail allowance every year.

This was inaccurate. At no time did the union make such a demand. I learned this, not just from union representatives, but from the county. I had the corrections officers mixed up with another union. I hope this sets the record straight and apologize for the bum steer. After making that error, I was surprised that they wee still willing to speak with me, but they were.

I was shown a roster of 192 corrections officers. From #85 on down, it consists of officers with five years of experience or less. This means, of course, that turnover is high. One union official estimates that at least 100 officers have quit over the past year.

Part of the reason for this, everyone concedes, is that many corrections officers are waiting for something better to come along. Many of them want to be police officers, and leave as soon as there's an opening. Others are criminal justice graduates who can do better in another job.

Another problem is salary. Although Council member John Cusick complains that Northampton's benefits package is better and computed differently,  younger officers are more interested in the money.

The starting salary for Northampton's guards is the second lowest in the state for third class counties, at least according to a union negotiator. He claims their goal was retention of junior officers, even though that meant some of them would see little or no raise

OK, so how about hiring older people?  There's a PT test, and though it's ridiculously easy, many older people are unable to pass so they just skip the process.

How about hiring more? An academy of 12 starts today, but the county has scheduled no academies for the rest of the year.

This high turnover means overtime. Mandated overtime, too. At the time of my meeting, every officer working day shift had already been mandated 17 times. This does not include the two of overtime every Wednesday for state training.

To make matters worse, corrections officers are now often tasked with transports This traditionally has been a function of the Sheriffs office.But if there are more than two or three, corrections officers must move inmates from county to county.

This high turnover leads to corrections officers who have no seasoning, and this in turn leads to injuries. One officer who was involved with a violent inmate was required to take him down, but the junior officers who assisted did it wrong, with the result that everyone came crashing down on the more senior officer, causing an injury.

High turnover also means that corrections officers must clear vacations a year in advance.

While the overtime is nice in the short term, it becomes annoying if you have family obligations. One officer tells me that, in 13 years, she has spent three Christmases at home

To me, the solution is paying people more money. A lot more money. This would mean a happier workforce, less overtime, less injury and more seasoned officers.

Hopefully this will be addressed in the next round of contract negotiations.

NorCo Jail Passes State Inspection

One of the reasons why former Exec John Brown wanted to spend a gazillion dollars at the jail and move it to Gracedale is because he was sure it would never pass state inspection. It just did.

Both the Jail and the West Easton work-release facility earned full compliance during the 2018 inspection by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. No deficiencies or citations were cited within the report.

Due to this achievement, the Northampton County Department of Corrections is exempt from the normal one-year inspection cycle and won’t be inspected again until 2020.

“We’re very proud of the men and women who work at these facilities,” says Executive Lamont McClure. “This report shows that, by their adherence to safety protocols, our employees are keeping the inmates, the public, and themselves as safe as possible.”

Fortunately, this inspection was done before Ken Kraft got there. That alone should justify about 100 citations.

NorCo Gets $3 M to Help Inmates With Mental Illness

Laura Savenelli

Over the weekend, an inmate at Northampton County's jail named Donnell "Donnie" Davis suffered a cardiac event. He unfortunately passed away. Davis was serving time for acting as an escort to a drug sale. he had been in trouble before.  But Judge Leonard Zito recognized that Davis was suffering from mental illness when he sentenced him in late August. Judge Zito not only ordered a mental evaluation, but even went so far as to agree to Davis' release if that became the ultimate recommendation of Mental Health.

Since posting my story, I've heard from several people in the Easton community who knew and liked Davis. "Poor guy never knew better," said one. "He was a good guy," added another. 

Davis had been concerned that, upon his release, he'd have no place to go. But his story is by no means unusual. Laura Savenelli, Northampton County's re-entry coordinator, outlined the problem to Northampton County Council on Aug 20.

According to Savenelli, 4,200 people were in the jail during 2017. Of that number, 1,268 (30.2%) of them acknowledged that they suffer from mental illness. In the public at large, only 4% will admit to mental health issues.

This year, PrimeCare began doing its own assessment of the mental health of inmates during the second quarter. According to their records, 72% of them either are or were suffering from mental illness. A whopping 23% of them suffer from serious mental illness with current and acute symptoms.

Are we paying to house people who should have been placed at Allentown State Hospital, which closed its doors in 2010?

"The answer to this question is an emphatic yes," says Executive Lamont McClure. Brian Watson, a county Mental Health administrator, adds that "the elimination of State Hospital beds has created a difficult void for individuals in need of a higher level of care." He notes this trend on a state and national level as well.

In 2017, Northampton County joined 425 other counties nationwide in The Stepping Up Initiative, a national program designed to reduce the number of people with mental illnesses who are in jail. At this point, the county is screening and assessing 71% of the inmates.

Savenelli is about to get help. On Aug 21, the day after she addressed County Council, the state Human Services advised the County that it will be getting a little over $3 million to help inmates with mental illness. With this money, the County plans to develop an eight-bed residence for inmates with severe mental illness. No location has been identified, but Watson said he'd like it to be close to both the jail and courthouse. There will also be housing for inmates with less severe mental illness, and a re-entry program to help inmates secure housing. Finally, a Crisis Intervention Team Coordinator will reach out to police and first responders to avoid unnecessary arrests and increase safe interactions with people suffering from mental illness.

The Life of a NorCo Corrections Officer

On Tuesday, I took you behind the jail's gates to give you a brief glimpse into he life of  a corrections officer. It's a thankless job I could never do. I identified three problems: low starting salaries, salary compression and mandated overtime. But there's really just one headache - salary compression. If officers knew that their salaries were increasing as they gained seniority, they would be much more willing to put up with a low starting salary and there would be far less overtime because officers would stay instead of quitting when a . more tempting offer comes. The purpose of this post is to provide a little more insight into the life of a corrections officer, as best as I can tell you from the outside.

How many are there? - As near as I can tell, there are 180-190 corrections officers. According to what former Corrections Director Dan Keen ultimately conceded, there should be 233. That means there's a shortage of 43-53 officers. In the past six years, there has only been one occasion when the County had 200 officers. This was almost matched recently, when for a brief period, there were 196 officers.

How about those training classes? - I told you that 12 officers had graduated.  I was mistaken. There were only 11 graduates. The class started with 16 officers, and five dropped out during training. I am told this kind of attrition is typical. 

What the starting salary? - A corrections officer makes only $16.40 per hour. In Lehigh County, it's $19.31, almost $3 per hour more.

What is the turnover? - According to a union source, about 30% of the new corrections officers leave within the first year

What is the impact of salary compression? - A corrections officer told me that in his beginning years, when step increases were awarded as guards gained seniority, he turned down jobs at the Easton and Reading Police Departments. He would be taking a paycut. Today, officers leave for vacancies on police departments because they make little more money at the jail than when they were first hired.

How many sick days do corrections officers get? - I incorrectly stated in a comment on Tuesday that they get three. Actually they get 12 sick days and three occurrences. I do not understand what occurrences are.

Can mandated officers get takeout? - Officers are reluctant to eat food prepared at the jail, even though it's free, because they believe that inmates will contaminate it. On Tuesday, I said the county should have a runner for food orders. The county does allow officers to order takeout, but there is no staff to send a runner.

Do officers develop medical issues at the jail? - They do. They work on a hard slate floor, as well as concrete. Most males eventually need knee replacements. There are three female guards who have cancer, and many need hysterectomies. Whether this is related to their work environment is unknown. Both males and females experience a high number of staph and MRSA infections.

How do you solve this problem without costing too much money? - County corrections officers need to be treated fairly, but so do county taxpayers. One solution that could work is to actually lower the starting pay, but introduce mandatory step increases based on seniority. A corrections officer will not object to a low starting salary if he knows he can make a living wage in five to seven years.

Feel free to correct me if I have any facts wrong. Also, if you have insights that I missed, please share them.

NorCo Putting 12 New Corrections Officers to Work

Photo credit Northampton County

On Friday, Northampton County graduated 12 new corrections officers: Franky Arroyo, Danielle Bryant, Michael Geoghegan, Andrew Hendricks, Kadeem Kirton, Josiah Ortiz, Kristina Reed, Eric Slack, Cody Young, Melvin Ware and Justin Zrelak.

There is another class in training.

“We cannot express enough our deep gratitude to these fine men and women who have chosen to
protect the health and safety of their fellow officers and the inmates they watch over,.”said Executive Lamont McClure.

I'd say there are some ways to express that gratitude. For one thing, they start at lower salaries ($18 per hour) than in either Lehigh ($21 per hour) or Monroe ($20 per hour) County. Also, there is a serious salary compression problem. Officers who have been there for years are paid little more than new officers. This problem existed long before McClure became Executive, and it also exists at the Juvenile Justice Center, Gracedale and among Deputy Sheriffs. It bothers long-time employees to see new hires making nearly as much as they do. McClure has plans to address this issue, but I did not talk to him or anyone in the administration because contract negotiations are underway, and they are confidential.

These new officers do help address another longstanding and very demoralizing problem - mandated overtime. Corrections Director James Kostura has been making a noble effort to fill positions, but as fast as they are being trained, that's how fast they leave. From what I've been told, six are planning to quit right now. These staff shortages hit hardest on weekends and holidays. One officer tells me the past nine years, she's celebrated Thanksgiving with her family just once. 

One officer who recently quit is going to college. He was missing classes because of the mandated overtime, and asked to have his schedule changed so he could at least make his classes. His immediate superiors refused. Instead of filing a grievance so that Kostura or someone else would  know there's a problem, the guard just quit. Shortly after he left, these very same superiors posted a list for guards who might want shift changes. Obviously their decision was really boneheaded. It is also totally contrary to a county government that encourages education.

Mandated overtime at a jail is a nightmare. You are cut off from the outside world, unable to bring a cell phone into your job. Most of us are glued to our phones, but corrections officers must leave the facility to check messages during breaks that only last ten minutes. By the time they step outside, they must return.

In addition, officers who are mandated get to eat food prepared by the very people they guard in the cafeteria, and for free.

I think I'd pass.

Judges stopped eating food prepared by the inmates years ago. 

When officers are mandated, the county should supply them with beverages and meals prepared on the outside or at least allow them to send a runner for takeout. 

Brown's Detailed Plans For Gracedale Jail

Lexington jail

On the campaign trail, Northampton County Executive John Brown adamantly denied any plans to build a jail at Gracedale. He accused Lamont McClure, the man who beat him of fear-mongering. He derided my reports, collected over a period of one year, as "fake news." But as I told you yesterday, the truth is that Brown had a secret, two-hour long meeting with Upper Nazareth Supervisors on March 27 to lay out his plans for a jail at Gracedale. He only changed his tune when Upper Nazareth residents became alarmed.They have no interest in politics,but care about their children.

I looked through the 30-page power point that Brown (along with Administrator Cathy Allen, Corrections Director Dan keen, Public Works Director Stan Rugis and General Purpose Authority Solicitor John Lushis) presented to Upper Nazareth officials.

Brown went through several correctional facilities visited by Corrections Director Dan Keen. All had been designed by DLR, which just happens to be the firm he hired with a $72,000 no-bid contract to do a jail study.

Here's what he claimed it would look like from the front.

He also presented an aerial view that includes the new jail and Gracedale.

He told Supervisors that residents would barely be able to see t from the roadway. They'd never know it was there.

There was also a discussion of specific site issues like "integration" with the community, traffic mitigation,night lighting, a nice buffer and the clearance needed for a Medevac helicopter next door.

Minutes of the Upper Nazareth Supervisors indicate that this private meeting was not mentioned for nearly three months, but I've been informed that it was disclosed on several occasions in April.

Whistleblower at Jail Still in Limbo, and at Our Expense

CPT David Collins, the County's first ever black captain at the jail, was suspended on July 13, with pay, and walked out of the jail. Reason? For making "unfounded allegations" about what is going on. The reality is that Collins is a whistleblower. He is being victimized for reporting, in good faith, instances of wrongdoing or waste. He was even grilled over his contacts with me, all of which were initiated by me and after his suspension. Believe it or not, he's been in limbo for 20 weeks with no idea when or if he is going to be called back to work. Taxpayers have shelled out approximately $20,000 during this time so he can sit at home. They are also paying his benefits, which might be 70% of his salary.

Is this fiscally responsible?

Same thing happened to a corrections officer, who took courses and became a tattoo artist on the County dime while waiting for a decision after she was suspended.

Collins did have an administrative hearing before HR Director Amy Trapp and Corrections Director Dan Keen on August 25. When he asked her why he had been suspended, she told him, "It's for your protection."

"We'll get back to you," Trapp said when it was over.

But in a few weeks, they'll be gone.

If Executive John Brown had any sense of fiscal responsibility, he'd direct Keen and Trapp to bring Collins back already.

John Brown's Secret Plan for a New Jail

On the campaign trail, I doubt that Northampton County Executive John Brown is saying much about a new jail. He was going to run on that issue until someone poited out that is a surefire way to ensure his defeat at the polls. So mum's the word. But don't kid yourself. He's looking. And if you are a NorCo resident, it might be in your neighborhood.

You'll learn the details once he's re-elected.

This is unacceptable to Bethlehem Attorney Lamont McClure, who is running for Executive.

I am opposed to the building of a new jail with an anticipated price tag to the taxpayers in excess of $120,000,000.00. We have also learned, although, we cannot verify this as the Brown Administration is pursuing its plan in secret, that one of the proposed sites is county property at Gracedale. This location is unacceptable to me. My opposition does not flow simply from the outsized costs or the terrible site selection alone. Specifically, we do not need a new prison. We have plenty of capacity to meet the need of local incarceration at this time. To my knowledge no one in the criminal justice system is clamoring for a new jail. I served on Council for nearly a decade. After the West Easton facility came on line, the Director of Corrections Mr. Myers retired. After his last Council meeting, I walked out of the courthouse with him. I asked him that now that we have the West Easton facility would we need a to build a new jail. His answer was "not in our life times."

Northampton County's jail was first built in 1871 for $200,000. It's been expanded a few times since then, with the most recent addition coming in 2006 at a $22.8 million cost. But in the old jail in particular, things are a mess. Corrections Director Dan Keen called it a "beast" during a presentation last September. County Administrators vowed to be back no later than the end of November to update everyone after identifying funding sources. They never did come back, but Executive John Brown has begun the process of selecting a new jail.

He's done so without involving the courts or District Attorney..

Where will it be? How much will it cost taxpayers? Do we really need a new jail? These are all questions that need to be answered.

Where will it be? - At a recent Council meeting, Brown told Peg Ferraro that the cost of a "high rise" solution in Easton is too exorbitant, and that he's already visited a dozen different locations. He needs a tract of between 40-60 acres. The most logical choice is Gracedale in Upper Nazareth, where the County already owns plenty of land. There would be no need buy, and the infrastructure should be a snap. But the public opposition would be intense, especially to owners of the Eagles' Landing development. Zoning might be an insurmountable hurdle.

Brown has also considered some of the Bethlehem Steel lands in South Bethlehem. Rumors abound that he's also considering Wayne Grube Park, Louis Moore Park (which is suddenly getting water) and Upper Mount Bethel Township. I believe Abe Atiyeh would be interested in selling his facility in West Easton.

No matter where he decides to build, there will be opposition.

How much will it cost? - According to a jail study commissioned by John Stoffa in 2008, the cost of a new jail at a new location would be $130-136 million. Build a seven story monstrosity that Eastonians would be sure to love would cost $128-$132 million.

What does this mean to taxpayers? Glenn Reibman's $111 million bond issue in 2001 resulted in two consecutive years of tax increases of 64%, along with layoffs. Reibman had hoped it would be revenue neutral because $29 million went to economic development. A new prison would just cost you money, most likely a 70-80% tax hike.

As Ron Angle asked back in 2008, "The reality here is, who the hell wants a new prison?"

Do we really need a new jail? - Back in 2008, at the time of the last prison study, it was projected that we'd need 1,300 beds by 2015. There were only 732 inmates when Keen made his presentation to Council last year. And that number is dropping as courts look to alternatives to incarceration. We now have problem solving courts, not warehouses.

So far as I know, Brown has failed to meet with the courts to discuss the trends. He even failed to meet with the judges over e-filing in the Civil Division, and just attempted to ram it through.

Brown's Executive Order. -  Brown has signed an Executive Order authorizing Corrections Director Dan Keen to enter into the planning process for a new detention center with DLR Group for the sum of $72,000 over the next three months. His deal with DLR is a "sole source," or no-bid, contract. This way he can avoid the competitive bidding that would otherwise be required under the county's Administrative Code.

Brown said competitive bidding in this instance "is just a waste of time and energy."

NorCo's Attempt to Bully David Collins

CPT Collins in his civies. 

On Friday, I told you that CPT David Collins, who supervises 10 lieutenants and is the Prison Rape Elimination Act Compliance Officer, has been suspended. He was walked out of the jail on July 13. For obvious reasons, he's declined to speak with me. He's got enough problems. But based on what I know about him myself, along with what I've heard from others who are familiar with his situation, I can offer a glimpse into what has happened. From where I sit, it appears that the Corrections Director Dan Keen and HR Director Amy Trapp are attempting to bully a man with integrity. They are both going to fall flat on their faces.

Who is David Collins? 

Let me first tell you a little bit about Collins. I got to know him years ago, and respect him as a straight shooter. "I wear the white shirt with double bars," he told me several years ago, when the County made the mistake of going after another jail employee. He was there to testify, but warned the County he would tell the truth if called to testify. They never called him.

He says what means and means what he says.

He's an Easton boy. He graduated from Easton High School, where he played basketball. Though he's a big man who looks like an NFL offensive lineman, he wanted to study and teach the fine arts to children and enrolled at Kutztown University. Life got in the way. His college dreams took a back seat to raising a family, and one of which he's very proud. He has four daughters, one of whom is still in school. He also is a grandfather and worships at Shiloh Baptist Church.

The man who wanted to teach fine maintained his interest in local youth. He was a program director at St. Anthony's Youth Center. He managed some programs at the Easton Area School District while working at jobs to support his family.

President Judge Robert Freedberg saw something he liked in well-spoken Collins, and recommended him for a job with Northampton County at the Juvenile Justice Center. He started working for the County in 2002  In 2009, he transferred to the jail. By 2011, he was a Lieutenant. Just two years later, in 2013, he was promoted to Captain.

He is the jail's first African American captain at a jail that has only one captain. He said his ethnicity makes his job "twice as hard." If he advocates against discrimination, he is accused of being a troublemaker or playing the race card. But if he refuses to back up someone with a bogus complaint, he's called a token.

He walks a fine line. For a big man, he does it well.

In his 15 years with the county, he has never been disciplined for any infraction.  His evaluations have all been off the charts.

And sometimes, at night, he'll teach inmates how to draw.

Collins is a Whistleblower

Collins is actually on paid administrative leave No one has accused him of smuggling in contraband or getting rough with inmates. His suspension relates to what Amy Trapp has called "unfounded allegations" concerning the Department of Corrections. These are complaints that Collins first made to Deputy Warden James Kostura. Most of them focus on Dan Keen's leadership. Though Kostura informed Collins that Keen would meet with him, nothing happened. So Collins went to the HR Director, Amy Trapp.

In 1986, Pennsylvania enacted its own version of the Whistleblower Law. This protects county employees from retaliation for reporting, in good faith, instances of wrongdoing or waste. That appears to be precisely what Collins was doing. Whether he is right or wring is irrelevant. The only question is whether he has acted in good faith. Moreover, Collins kept his complaints in house.

Sanctioning Collins for reporting in good faith about things he thinks are wrong violate the Whistleblower Law. This also violates is First Amendment rights, which he still has no matter what uniform he is wearing.

Collins Allegations are Fact Based

It appears that many of the allegations made by Collins have a factual basis.

- He was assigned to investigate an assault of a female inmate, which ultimately resulted in the suspension (with pay) of a female corrections officer. The materials he obtained and supplied were never turned over to the DA for the prosecution of an inmate who ultimately entered a guilty pleas. Keen also never turned these records over to HR Director Amy Trapp, which probably explains why the corrections officer was suspended with pay and was paid by the county for several months to do nothing. In her time off, the female corrections officer was able to become a tattoo artist.

- Corrections officers are taught a variety of measures to subdue unruly inmates. One of these is called the brachial stun, in which someone uses the spine of his hand to hit another person on the side of the neck from behind. This is meant to stun the victim, bu it can also kill him.One of Collins's complaints, I'm told, is that Keen was using this technique on one of his lieutenants. He snuck up behind him several times to administer this blow, and then laughed. It might be funny to Keen, but not to the Lieutenant being victimized.

- In a meeting this Winter concerning some program, Amy Trapp disparaged a lieutenant who complained about the program, calling him a "pussy." This is unprofessional behavior. (I know for a fact that Trapp has been insulting like this to other county employees).

- Keen is absent for extended periods because he teaches corrections at Penn State. (I question whether he is being paid on the county dime and by PSU). From 6/12-6/15, Keen was teaching a class there He wanted to teach lieutenants and took five of the jail's 10 lieutenants with him. This left Collins with five lieutenants to run the jail. One of them was on restricted duty. (Keen had previously told me that he would be doing all future teaching at the jail). He carted five county employees halfway across the state and put them up at The Radison, at county expense, while he stayed at the more expensive PennStater. He did this knowing that the Controller and I have both raised questions about unnecessary travel.

There are numerous other complaints that Collins may have made, according to staffers. Some may very well be unfounded. All are being made in good faith. Instead of suspending Collins, Keen should have just met with him like an adult. I see no reason why this had to happen.

What Trapp and Keen are doing is trying to scare Collins into submission. They want him to shut up while Keen pushes for a new jail that will double your tax bill and Trapp buys more popcorn machines. The last thing they need is someone talking about waste and wrongdoing.

But if I know Collins, he will stand up to them. He's been suspended for doing his job. He doesn't roll the way they want.

Lauer: Brown's $72k No-Bid Contract Contrary to Administrative Code

Northampton County Executive John Brown has signed an Executive Order for a no-bid contract with DLR Group for a master plan for a new jail. I told you earlier this week that he may have avoided the competitive bidding that would otherwise be required under the county's Administrative Code. At Council's June 1 meeting, Council Solicitor Phil Lauer agreed. In addition to being an improper "sole source" contract with no competitive bidding, Lauer advised Council that the Administrative Code requires that contracts for professional services must go through some type of bidding process.

Council President John Cusick told Brown that a jail study is sorely needed, "But I can't help wondering if a step was missed in the process, and that step would have been to put out an RFP [Request for Proposals] right at the beginning."

"I could understand putting out a bid just for the exercise," said Brown. "I don't think it's an exercise," countered Matt Dietz. "I think that's how we're supposed to run things."

Peg Ferraro was troubled, too. "I just don't understand how you can have a design without having a site selected," she said. "To me, it sounds like you've already decided you're probably going to have it in green space, probably out at Gracedale, instead of a high building like out at Lehigh County."

Brown agreed that he's already ruled out a high rise. He said the cost would be "exorbitant." He later said he's looked at a dozen different sites throughout the County.

"I agree with the Executive," said Mat Benol, who has been one of Brown's most faithful rubber stamps. "I think we have to trust the expertise of [Director of Corrections] Keen.

"It seems like we're so married to DLR at this point that DLR will be the design firm, complained Hayden Phillips.

"I'm not wed to anybody," responded Brown, which will be news to his wife.

"I have a problem with this not being competitive," said Hayden Phillips. "I think we should have followed the Administrative Code." He called it an "issue of efficiency vs. transparency. ... Transparency makes me want to have a bid on this. Open it up."

Brown said competitive bidding in this instance "is just a waste of time and energy."

"It should be competitive," said Bob Werner. "We should look into some local people who can build."

Will Council sue? "I just don't like it when two branches of government are in litigation," said Council Prez John Cusick. A majority of Council was critical of Brown's failure to seek competitive bidding, but are unwilling to stop him in Court.

Blogger's Note: This report is based on a video of the meeting.I was at Summer League basketball, where Allentown Central Catholic's Vikings are now 3-0 after defeating Liberty, Becahi and Nazareth.  

John Brown Awards $72,000 No-Bid Contract For New NorCo Jail

Northampton County Executive John Brown has begun the process of selecting what could very well be a new jail. Yesterday, he signed an Executive Order authorizing Corrections Director Dan Keen to enter into the planning process for a new detention center with DLR Group. That firm, which has offices in Washington, is described as "the leading prison design firm in the United States." Over the next three months, DLR will be paid $72,000 for a master plan that considers existing space needs and the possible reuse of the existing facility.

According to Brown's order, "The master plan will not be site specific, but rather the development of a concept based on the Lexington / Fayette County (KY) Detention Center plans which are owned by DLR Group and are considered the best design concept of all centers visited by the Director of Corrections."

Brown's Executive Order claims that his deal with DLR is a "sole source," or no-bid, contract. This way he can avoid the competitive bidding that would otherwise be required under the county's Administrative Code. Brown can argue that DLR is the only outfit in the universe that can give him a prison plan. But that's nonsense.There are numerous prison design firms besides DLR.

DLR Group is actually the nation's largest architectural firm, with offices all over the globe. It designed the first federal "supermax" prison in Colorado, known as the "Alcatraz of the Rockies." But there are numerous other national lnown architectural firms that design prisons, including Arrington Watkins, KMD and SchenkelSchultz of Gitmo fame. There are also numerous local architectural firms.

Brown by-passed them all, in apparent violation of the Administrative Code. This may very well be intentional. This is an election year, and four council members up for re-election may very well want to be able to deny they had anything to do with what could end up being a politically unpopular prison deal. What makes this even more troubling is that this already is literally the ultimate captive market.

The contract amount - $72,000 - is below the $100,000 threshold required for Council approval. But Brown is required to notify them. They could stop this in its tracks when they meet on Thursday night because Brown has violated the Home Rule Charter by failing to seek competitive bids.

Are the courts on board? Have alternatives to reduce incarceration been discussed? What does the DA think? I would think Brown would want those questions answered before spending $72,000 of taxpayer money to a nonlocal firm and without seeking proposals. .

This $72,000 is just a first step, the equivalent of sticking your big toe in a pool. The ultimate cost of either an expansion or a new prison is estimated at $128 to $136 million.

It could be in Nazareth. It could stay in Easton. It will certainly mean a tax hike.

After Investigation, NorCo Jail Investigator Fired

In late April, I told you that the investigator at Northampton County's jail, Christopher Naugle, was himself under investigation. He was fired on September 23, as you can see in a termination letter sent by HR Director Amy Trapp.

I obtained the termination letter via a RTK request. County officials refused to supply the Loudermill letter, which is more specific. But Trapp's letter suggests that Naugle may have violated the Code of Ethics, violated confidentiality, made untruthful statements and deviated from internal investigation procedures.

It's safe to say that Keen and Trapp are cleaning house.

NorCo Corrections Director on Jail: "It's a Beast!"

Corrections Director Dan Keen

Is it time for a new jail? That was the focus of a Council hearing yesterday. Corrections Director Dan Keen pointed to serious shortcomings at what is sometimes jokingly called Chez Northampton County, which is currently home to 732 inmates. "It's a beast!" was his flat assessment. He described a maintenance nightmare that offers only two treatment programs for an unstable inmate population. He complimented professional corrections officers who "come in, day in, day out," despite being subjected to 304 assaults or acts of aggression over the past three years. He made the case for a new jail, ideally on a 60-acre tract, that would be safer for inmates and staff, but without the intimidating, fortress-like style that currently exists. Where it will be located and how will it be funded are concerns that Keen left to Council and Executive John Brown.

Jail population exceeds its functional capacity

A prison study done in 2008 projected that 1,308 beds would be needed by 2015. At that time, there were triple beds and inmates were sleeping in hallways. Then Executive John Stoffa complained, "We treat animals better than we treat our prisoners."

After that study, courts became more willing to sentence offenders to state prison. So there were only 732 inmates at the time of Keen's presentation, but that still exceeds the functional capacity at the jail, which is 605. This presents challenges, according to Keen. He stated that once the jail has more than 605 inmates, it becomes more difficult to keep rival gang members apart. It is harder to segregate juvenile offenders from the adult population, which is required by the Prison Rape Elimination Act.

Female Population

"We're out of room," said Keen. When female inmates are scheduled for court, they must walk through the male housing unit to get to what is called the bull pen. So on a weekly basis, male inmates expose themselves, resulting in complaints that must be investigated.

The current female population is 117, and there's no room for more. Yet Keen is projecting an average increase of 2.7% per year.

This has resulted in added cost. It was at $4.2 million in 2013. Females tend to be sentenced to longer periods than males

Mentally Ill Inmates

Since 1955, Pennsylvania has closed ten state hospitals, including Allentown State Hospital, reducing the number of patients from 41,000 to just 1,500, it’s a 96% drop inspired by the belief that mentally ill people do better in the community. They're ending up in county jails. Keen told Council that 42% of NorCo inmates are on some form of psychotropic medication. He is trying to have eight inmates transferred to a state hospital. For two of them, he has been waiting for nearly a year.

These inmates are housed on the old side of the jail, built in 1871. There is no air conditioning, and even in the winter months, average temperatures inside are 85-90 degrees.

"We're doing more harm than good," said Keen.

The number of mentally ill inmates has increased 48% since 2010. For mentally ill women, commitments have increased 65% in that period. Over half of the commitments each year (52%) are mentally ill.

Corrections officers now undergo crisis intervention and mental health first aid training.

Maintenance costs

Just last week, Keen discovered a 70' long pipe at the jail with a dozen leaks. This unforeseen repair will cost $21,000. At a jail that was first built in 1871, these things happen frequently. Over the past three years, the County has spent $1.9 million on facility repairs. Just last month, Keen was forced to ask Council to approve an additional maintenance employee to deal with several hundred maintenance issues, small and large. He has also just learned that the walls surrounding the jail are corroding from the inside and must be replaced within the next three years.

Officer safety

Uneven slate floors, improperly aligned steps and condensation build ups on floors have resulted in officers falling and injuring themselves while responding to emergencies.

On the older side of the facility, the cells are open bars. This makes it possible for an inmate to grab and injure a corrections officer or hit him with a "feces grenade" (a shampoo bottle containing a mixture of feces and urine). These older cells lack wickets through which food trays can be passed, meaning that the officer has to open the cell door to feed someone.

While Adams County has had one assault in the last 18 months, Northampton County experiences 100 a year.

Result? $1.8 million in workman's compensation claims over the past three years. Because the County is self-insured, taxpayers foot the bill.

"My hat's off to the officers," said Keen, saying they work under stressful conditions.

Poor Design

The current layout of the jail is what Keen calls a linear or "old school" design, making it impossible for corrections officers to see all inmates under their supervision. In one area, cell blocks are arranged in a linear design on an upper level, with a gate that is only at thigh level.

Keen, who is built like an NFL lineman and did play college football, said it is impossible for someone his size to walk through the area without his shoulders rubbing up against the open cells. If he attempt to move away from the cell, there is a risk that he could go over the railing and fall onto the floor below.

State law and liability

Keen indicated that the jail is scheduled for inspection by state corrections. If it falls below the minimum standards set by the state, the County will eventually be forced, at its own expense, to house inmates in other counties.

This combination of increased census, mental health inmates, growing female population, maintenance issues, poor design and officer safety issues makes the county ripe for a civil rights lawsuit. Keen warned that eventually, someone is going to be hurt seriously or fatally. "Then we'll say, 'Why didn't we do something earlier.'"

New Facility

Keen stated that a new facility might surprise some people. Instead of having a fortress-like look, most new jails look like a school or office building. Urban yards would be built inside the walls on a tract between 40 and 60 acres.

Keen said there are three options. First, move everything to a new location. Second, keep female inmates in Easton and the work release facility in West Easton and build a new facility for males. Third, keep the female inmates in Easton and bring the work release inmates back to Easton, but build a new facility for the males.

Keen said that several sites have been studied, though he did not say where. It seems unlikely it would remain in Easton. It would cost $20 million just to tear down the current facility, and at least half the inmates would have to be sent to several locations for two years.

Keen stated no one would be able to walk around in the new facility and would be released from Easton. Bob Werner suggested that it might be possible to market a new jail to another community on the basis of jobs produced. But John Cusick said a jail in another community like the Gracedale campus will be controversial, and recommended that the County retain good zoning counsel for what will obviously be a fight. "It's gonna' take time, effort and political will to move this ahead," he remarked. He added that this is not a Democratic or Republican issue, but is something that needs to be done to accomplish a "core function of county government."

Hayden Phillips stated that where the new jail goes is an administrative decision, but "this is something that needs to be fixed."

Acting Director of Administration Cathy Allen said the County is very serious about a new site, and will be back to Council in 30-60 days once funding sources are identified. She hinted that "some of the people we need to be in our corner will be in our corner." Bob Werner added, "There are people we have met with in the past that have changed. Positions have changed."

Ken Kraft wants to break ground now. "We have a 200 year-old prison and we have a morgue in a barn," he said. "That's Northampton County in a nutshell."

Time For a New NorCo Jail ...and in Nazareth

Northampton County's jail was first built in 1871 for $200,000. It's been expanded a few times since then, with the most recent addition coming in 2006 at a $22.8 million cost. But in the old jail in particular, things are a mess. Corrections Director Dan Keen just ticked off a few items at a recent Council meeting, but is expected to give a full report to Council tonight. A Morning Call story that was actually published in advance of the presentation, is an indication that Executive John Brown and Dan Keen are pushing for some big changes.

A new jail is needed. It was needed twenty years ago. But it will be expensive, especially if built on the postage stamp campus in Easton.

It makes most sense in Nazareth, where the County already owns the land. It will be cheaper, and the people who work there will get out from under Sal Panto's onerous commuter tax. There is one isolated area north of Gracedale, almost quarry like, that is already used by police for training. No housing development is nearby. That would be the ideal spot, but would need infrastructure.

It will be unpopular in the Nazareth community. Every few years, "No Jail" signs sprout like dandelions. But Nazareth Borough residents have already demonstrated they're happy with an admitted thief as Mayor. Council member Larry Stoudt works at a club that was and still may be loaded with illegal poker machines. So I'd just tell Nazareth complainers that those inmates are all Mayors in training.

NorCo Fires Madame X

This is not Madame X, but I had a good
excuse to publish a scantily clad female

A Northampton County corrections officer with a history of heroin use and as a stripper in various local dives has been fired. In response to a Right-to-Know request, Northampton County has disclosed that the officer, who I'll continue calling Madame X, was terminated by letter dated January 14, 2016. This sanction followed what is known as a Loudermill hearing to ensure that her due process rights were protected. She had union representation.

I first told you about Madame X on November 23 and the County wasted no time in placing her on administrative leave so that my claims about her could be investigated.

Records disclose that Madame X was first hired by Northampton County in the beginning of January 2014. She earned $40,330.75 that year, including $7,550.31 in overtime pay. In 2015, she earned $50,560.11, including $14,794.88 in overtime.

Before she was hired, Madame X failed to disclose her work history between 1989 and 1996. But soon after she became a corrections officer, she began telling others about her previous life as a stripper at various local establishments, as well as in New Jersey and New York. She had been a model for various Biker magazines, even posing nude. She sent some of these nude pictures to her new pals after being hired at the jail. But it was not all fun and games. She apparently had fallen into drug abuse, too. And with the worst possible drug. Heroin. She did kick her addiction, thanks to her first husband.

Though former Corrections Director Arnie Matos refused to take any action, she has since confirmed that she failed to submit a complete application. She has admitted to working in the adult entertainment industry, both as a stripper or dancer, and as a model for biker magazines. She has also admitted drug use, but attempts to minimize it.

She claims, for example, that she experimented once or twice with heroin.

Nobody experiments with heroin.

Corrections experts tell me that her past in adult entertainment could make her job more difficult, especially if she runs into people she knows from that world.

Northampton County has never had a problem hiring officers who at times smoked weed. But policy is that nobody who has used heroin should ever be hired to work as a corrections officer. Madame X has compounded her problem by being dishonest on her job application.

On top of everything else, she has another problem. She is a bigot.

Her Facebook page has disappeared. But when I looked as it, her settings permitted anyone to see it, including the families of inmates. There were repeated posts of the Confederate Battle Flag as well as complaints about the appointment to the Immigration Department of Fatima Noor, a Muslim who fled from Somalia as a child and became a United States citizen. She also claims, on Facebook, that we are one nation under God, not Allah. She also posted a joke about a redneck girl who shoots an Arab and a Mexican.

Very funny.

She certainly has a First Amendment right to be a bigot and be intolerant of other religions. But as a corrections officer, she encounters numerous inmates who are black or Muslim or both. When she uses Facebook to make racist remarks or statements that infringe on religious freedom guaranteed in this country, she should be fired for that reason alone. Exercising those rights have consequences.

She was also endangering own safety, as well as the safety of other corrections officers with these unnecessary statements.

Before her Facebook page vanished, Madame X offered this defense of her past.

I love when people try to make you look bad when they are the ones that did wrong.I'm not proud of my past but I'm not ashamed of it.when your a single mom and you can't get help.you are forced into doing whatever it takes to feed your kids no, I was never a hooker.and being concerned about terrorism and our government is everyone's concern.I am not racist.never was.but some people try to make you look that way..if that's what you got to do to make me look bad.then shame on you..so I think some jokes are funny ..sure..it's a joke...and if it happened to be a bit distasteful and I laugh or share it..so what.it doesn't mean I'm racist..I started my turn to Christianity about 13 yrs ago and it's been a tough road..it's not easy being a Christian,but I am getting better although I have a long way to go because I am human and all humans are not perfect.God said so.so the ones that are skimming my Facebook and putting it out there that I'm all kind of a bad person..good for you...I actually laughed when I read the blog..you need to get your story straight...if you want to know about me.I'll tell you all about me to your face..you don't need to get stories from people who don't know me..and feeding you lies..but my God is bigger than you...and we will all stand in judgement...btw...I will pray for you...

I thank her for that, and see no purpose in disclosing her real identity at this point. But as Corrections Supervisor Dan Keen told her in the termination letter, "The County of Northampton and the Northampton County Prison have reason to expect their employees to observe a code of ethics which will not reflect discredit on the abilities and integrity of their employees, and to ensure public trust so as not to create suspicion with reference to their employees’ capability in discharging their duties and responsibilities."

She let everyone down with her basic dishonesty, and endangered the lives of fellow officers with reckless remarks on Facebook.

Central Booking Change Returns Cops to Patrol

L to R: Corrections Director Dan Keen; Palmer Police Chief Larry Palmer;
Magisterial District judge Jim Narlesky; and Magisterial District Judge Richard Yetter.

When a person is arrested and charged with a serious offense, he is taken to a central booking station, located next to the jail. Arresting officers have been required to wait as the accused is processed, which usually takes between two and four hours. With 2,000* bookings per year, this is roughly 4,000-8,000 man hours. This is an incredible drain on smaller departments like Bangor, and sometimes means there is no one to patrol the streets. As Bangor's Mayor, this is a problem that bothered John Brown, who noticed that a police officer who made an arrest would be tied up at the booking center for most of his shift. As County Executive, it's a problem he's been able to fix, thanks to a group of county and local officials who worked together to streamline the process.

At a January 13 news conference attended by enough police brass to form a marching band, Brown announced changes to the central booking system that will get police officers back on the street within 30 minutes. Essentially, jail staff will assume responsibility for inmates at an earlier stage. According to Corrections Director Dan Keen, this is a revenue neutral change that will cause no increase in jail manpower or staff.

The nuts and bolts of this new approach were screwed together by Keen, Sheriff David Dalrymple, Easton Police Chief carl Scalzo and Palmer Police Chief Larry Palmer.

Though Palmer supervises one of Northampton County's larger police departments, he conservatively estimates that his officers are tied up 15-20 hours a month at central booking. This creates what he calls "gaps in police coverage."

President Judge Stephen Baratta called this solution "good government at the local level," and was pleased at the amount of cooperation between different governments and police departments. In his view this streamlining addresses complaints about public safety,reduces stress on magisterial District Judges and ended up costing the County nothing. "I give the administration a lot of credit," he announced, adding that he and brown have a "good working relationship."

Magisterial District Judge Jim Narlesky assured everyone that defendants will still have a prompt preliminary arraignment. But how will he know what bail to set? That question was answered by magisterial District Judge Richard Yetter, who has been working as night judge for the past week.

He stated officers fill out a short background on each person brought in, including prior convictions and other factors to be considered in determining bail. If there is a pressing issue, he will contact pretrial services or the arresting officer.

Northampton County has used central booking since 2007. In a brief tour of the facility, it appears there are two holding cells and a separate room where a defendant can speak to the magisterial District Judge.

What if it gets crowded?

"We've got plenty of room next door," said Deputy Warden David Penchishen, as he was searched before being admitted to central booking.

He stated everyone is searched.

No exceptions.

By the way, it's hard as hell to get in there, although Judge Dally told me later in the day that he could get me in there real fast.

You ring some buzzer and then wait 20-30 years for the gate to open. I stood outside with another reporter and we both froze our asses off as we waited.

I'm pretty sure I heard the bastards inside, laughing at us.

Every now and then, it sounded as though the gate was about to open, but then there'd be nothing. ... Except what I'm sure was laughter.

Thankfully, it was a lot easier to leave.

But not for Penchishen. He was on his way to another entrance, where he'd be searched again. "I'm setting an example," he told me.

I slipped my dip into his back pocket.



__________________
* Rudy Miller's account indicates there were 4,000 bookings in 2014, which is also what is claimed in a news release. Executive Brown's statement indicates there are 2,000 bookings per year. According to Administration sources, the 4,000 figure includes walk-ins. Brown's figure is limited to those who are brought in by police and hence is more accurate in this context.

Fired Jail Supervisor Still Being Denied His Day in Court

Rosati

For the past two days, I've been exposing what really goes on at the NorCo jail. It makes the case of Jason Rosati, a Lieutenant with 20 years of experience in Corrections, just a little more understandable. In January, he was suspended without pay for the strangest of reasons. He was let go for insisting that the people under him follow the rules. That sounds nutz, but after having been exposed to just a slice of what goes there, I understand. Jason had the temerity to discipline a corrections officer who sauntered into work with an unbuttoned blouse and a choker necklace, both of which are contrary to uniform policy. Operations Administrator Al Crivellaro, who just happens to be the very same person who interviewed and investigated Madame X, engineered Rosati's removal early this year. Rosati is still being denied his day in court.

After being fired in late January or early February, Rosati filed a grievance with Northampton County's Personnel Appeals Board. Under Northampton County's Administrative Code and Home Rule Charter, this a five-person body established to adjudicate claims made by career service, i.e. nonunion, workers. Members are appointed by the Executive and confirmed by County Council. They include the following: Bill Alexander, himself a retired corrections officer; Dave "Lump" Sanders, owner of Bethlehem's revered Table of Knowledge at Lump's Deli; Ralph Stampone, owner of Ralph's Radiator and inspector of my now deceased Jeep; Pen Argyl's John Dally, who also sits on the Gaming Board; and Pat Siemiontkowski*, who retired recently as Northampton County's own HR Director. They are volunteers.

Though he has gone without a paycheck since his suspension in January, Rosati's case was not heard by the Personnel Appeals Board until July 14. That night, Attorney Pat Reilly established pretty convincingly that Rosati had been ambushed by a snitch brigade reporting to Deputy Administrator Cathy Allen. Rosati had disciplined one of the head snitches. Even Crivellaro admitted that this snitch let it be known throughout the jail that she has a relationship with Allen. Though he denied ever hearing her referred to as a snitch, he testified that she may believe she is protected.

According to Rosati, other supervisors are afraid of her. "She makes it known that Miss Allen supports her. They are afraid."

Attorney Reilly argued and Rosati testified that Crivellaro is afraid, too. Crivellaro, who pleaded no contest in 2010 to providing alcohol to minors, was told by Allen that he should not be working at the jail. Crivellaro denied this when he testified, but Rosati also insisted that Crivellaro had warned him to "watch your back" and that Allen had both of their personnel files.

Rosati, who admits he is a bit of a hard ass, believes his strict adherence to the rules could save the lives of officers in emergency situations.

Attorney Reilly finished his case in one night, but the County is entitled to present its side of the case, and another hearing was supposed to be scheduled for that to happen.

As of today, Rosati is still waiting for his next date in court. He is still being deprived of a paycheck.

When he wins this case, and I can't see any other resolution, the taxpayers are going to be forced to pay him for the time he spent sitting on his ass when he could have been working.

I suspect the County sees the handwriting on the wall, too, and has still refused to provide dates at which its lawyers will be available for Round Two.

I know this bothers Personnel Appeals Board members, who think they should have a designated night each month for hearings. if there are no cases, they just stay home.

Ken Kraft and Scott Parsons have repeatedly suggested to Executive Brown that this system, which actually denies justice, needs to change.

In the meantime, it appears that Rosati will go until January before his case is heard again.

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*)  Siemiontkowski has been recused in this matter.