The Schuylkill County Prison is in need of some upgrades and job applicants.
Two air conditioning units stopped working in the past month, according to Deputy Warden David Wapinsky’s monthly report.
The compressor in the unit in the medical department area is not working and parts have become obsolete, Wapinsky said. The other unit is in control room B, which is where the camera and fire alarm system computers are located. Wapinsky said that makes this unit of high priority to be fixed since it may be affected by warmer weather.
Both units were installed when the prison was remodeled in 1986.
County Administrator Mark Scarbinsky said the units will be replaced. He said the county is still looking at proposals and did not have an estimated cost available Wednesday.
Additional security cameras were ordered for the prison and will be soon be installed. Scarbinsky said the cameras cost $8,000. They will be installed in various areas throughout the prison, including the kitchen and outside near the entrance of the facility.
There are currently eight staff vacancies at the prison, including seven corrections officers and a maintenance position. Five vacancy notices were submitted within the last week. Wapinsky said five candidates are being interviewed for the positions.
“Administration was not aware of it until the last minute,” prison board Chairman and Commissioner George F. Halcovage Jr. said.
The corrections officers have taken jobs at federal prisons. Human Resources Director Martina A. Chwastiak said their contracts did not require a two-weeks notice, but it is something the county will consider adding to future contracts.
On March 4, the state Department of Corrections Drug Interdiction Unit Teams performed a complete search of the facility. The K-9, drug detection and cellphone dog search found no contraband in the prison.
In other news, the average inmate population increased to 281 for February. It peaked at 292 for the month. The average was 271 in January.
There were 272 inmates at the prison Wednesday, Wapinsky said. There were 44 inmates tripled in cells, he said.
Eleven offenders joined the pre-release program in February. The program consisted of 41 offenders and saved 815 total jail days at the prison. One person was removed for violations.