Adams County Prison could begin accepting
an additional 30 federal prisoners for an estimated potential
income of about $700,000, Warden Brian Clark told the Prison
Board Friday morning.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement has asked the county for
about 30 beds, for prisoners, mostly women, awaiting deportation
from the U.S.
Prison capacity, including Community Reentry inmates (formerly
called Work Release) is 447. The last day of October, there were
328 inmates in the facility. The main prison has about 120 beds
available, some of which could be used for the federal
prisoners, Clark said.
“If we could hold 30 of their inmates for a year, that would be
($678,000),” Clark told the board.
He also said daily operating costs would
not change. Food costs are fixed, and there is sufficient staff
already on board. One cost that may increase could be health
care, but that would be the responsibility of the federal
service, the warden said.
Clark said the federal agency would treat Adams County as a
satellite of York County Prison, where it currently keeps the
prisoners.
“The problem right now is York County is overcrowded,” he said,
“and they’re (ICE) taking females … halfway across the state to
board.”
Fink noted many of the prisoners would be awaiting a flight out
of the country and Adams County is close to the Harrisburg
airport, where most of the flights occur.
Clark said the plan “wouldn’t take place tomorrow.” The federal
agency first must inspect the prison, including review of its
procedures and policies, before a contract can be signed.
Adams County Prison already houses 25-30 prisoners a month from
the U.S. Marshall Service. The prisoners are being held on
federal charges and awaiting trial in Harrisburg federal courts.
“We have had close to 40,” Clark said, adding that “every year
this time of year, it kind of slows down for awhile.”
The county receives $62 a day per diem for each non-Adams County
inmate held in the facility.
In other business, the Prison Board authorized using a portion
of the inmates' Commissary Fund to pay the annual subscription
on the Self-Automated Victim Inmate Notification system.
A victim of a crime committed by an Adams Count Prison inmate
may register to be called by SAVIN when the perpetrator is
released from jail. The call is placed automatically when the
inmate's record notes the release.
“The inmates who committed those crimes are generating revenue,”
Clark said. “Although it's not very much, its something that
you’re going to be giving back to the victim. I think that's
important.”
The SAVIN fee is $2,010 for 2009.
