Why inmates can’t be put to work picking up trash along Route 222 and other highways [Lancaster Watchdog]

• By Hannah Sutton/LNP | LancasterOnline

After The Watchdog reported on the ongoing litter accumulation along Route 222, several LNP | LancasterOnline readers reached out with comments and questions about the possibility of inmates at Lancaster County Prison working to clean up the county’s highways.

Road crews from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, which is in charge of keeping the roadways clean, have many other duties and are stretched thin. So the Watchdog decided to find out whether residents of the prison on East King Street in Lancaster could be pressed into service to lighten the load.

Staffing, safety and security

According to prison Warden Cheryl Steberger and Lancaster County Commissioner Josh Parsons, sending out inmates to clean up highways presents considerable staffing and security issues.

Parsons said inmates participating in such a program would need to be eligible for work release. The courts grant eligibility for work release and then the prison considers eligible inmates based on certain conditions, including having no prior convictions for prison escape and displaying good behavior during incarceration, among others.

But unlike a work release program, where an employer agrees to supervise inmates, prison staff would need to oversee inmates engaged in highway cleanup, which presents staffing problems.

The prison is currently short dozens of staff members. At a county prison board meeting April 17, Deputy Warden of Operations Miguel Castro reported that the prison ended March with two sergeant and 31 correctional officer vacancies.

“I like the idea of putting people to work,” Parsons said, “but really, it’s largely been a staffing issue.”

The prison formerly allowed inmates to participate in a litter pickup program that focused on Queen Street and Prince Street in Lancaster city, under the supervision of a city staff member. The program paused during the COVID-19 pandemic and has not restarted due to lack of available city staffers.

Steberger said the program also caused security issues related to contraband.

“ We found that, unfortunately, many family and friends were leaving items for our inmates,” Steberger said. “They were strategically placing (contraband) and advising (the inmates) where it would be.”

Asked if there would ever be discussion about a similar program that focuses on major roadways, Parsons said litter pickup along highways poses safety risks, and there are still concerns about contraband, but the prison board has talked about it over the years.

Although state law allows county correctional institutions to mandate inmates to work for and on behalf of the Commonwealth and administer appropriate consequences if an inmate refuses, the county prison doles out work duties inside the prison based on good behavior, types of charges and other criteria through its Inmate Trustee Program.