PA-County Prison

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Chesco prison earns top honors

Monday, January 11, 2010
Journal Register News Service

WEST CHESTER — Chester County's prison in Pocopson earned a 100 percent rating from the state for 2009.

The rating was noted in December with the prison's certificate of compliance from the state of PA Department of Corrections.

The regulations under which the certification was granted were designed to encourage county prisons to develop and use local policies and procedures in line with existing state law and recognized professional prison standards.

The rating brought expressions of pride from local officials and a positive reaction from an advocate for prisoners housed there.

"Great!" exclaimed Dr. Alexine Atherton, the longtime county representative for the Pennsylvania Prison Society, which visits local and state prisons regularly to ensure inmates are being treated fairly.

"I think the state felt that what has been done over the years there was a great effort to make sure the prison was top-notch," Atherton said Friday.

An inspection of the prison was done over a three-day period in December to check compliance with state law governing prison accommodations, procedures and training. Among other requirements, prisons must:

* show corrections officers have received training in the proper use of force and inmate relations;

* show medical facilities are adequate and the commissary and hygienic facilities are up to par;

* show how inmates are admitted and classified; and

* meet standards on inmates' access to mail and legal resources.

"Chester County government officials, Warden (D. Edward) McFadden and the Chester County Prison staff deserve recognition for their commitment to operating a facility that seeks and meets the challenge of standards compliance," Jeffrey A. Beard, secretary of corrections, wrote to in a letter to county Commissioner Terence Farrell, the commissioners' chairman last year.

"The results of this inspection show that this facility has achieved 100 percent compliance with (state regulations)," Beard wrote.

"A high level of leadership" is found in Chester County, according to Beard. "It is important to recognize that this public leadership can only be exercised because the citizens of Chester County are aware of the need to meet established standards and are willing to support the measures required to achieve those established standards."

McFadden, who has worked at the prison in several capacities for more than 30 years, put the matter into perspective.

"We received a 100 percent rating which is very difficult to achieve, particularly for an institution of our size," McFadden said in a statement. "To achieve these results, it required diligence and dedication from our entire staff.

"It is certainly gratifying to see the hard work, sacrifice and dedication of our correctional staff translate into this recognition by the Department of Corrections."

Later, in an interview, McFadden said, "This is not an easy job. It is nice to see that the professional corrections officers who work here get the recognition they deserve."

Atherton characterized the county's prison employees as professionals. "They treat the inmates with respect, as long as the inmates treat them with respect," she said.

Atherton said recent expansion and renovations at the prison have improved the facilities there to the best condition she has seen since working with the county's prisoners.

"There has been an enormous improvement," she said, singling out the prison's new medical facilities. "They used to be really bad, but now it is a top-flight facility."

McFadden reported that in 2009 the prison population was no longer straining the facilities. Last year the average daily inmate population was 966. For the final six months of the year, it was 964. In December, when populations are normally low, the daily population was 907. The prison's highest inmate count was 1,034.

Prior to the new construction, the prison's recommended capacity was 596. Its present recommended capacity is 1,119.

URL: Chesco prison earns top honors - The Pottstown Mercury (pottsmerc.com)

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"We received a 100 percent rating which is very difficult to achieve, particularly for an institution of our size," McFadden said in a statement. "To achieve these results, it required diligence and dedication from our entire staff.

"It is certainly gratifying to see the hard work, sacrifice and dedication of our correctional staff translate into this recognition by the Department of Corrections."

Later, in an interview, McFadden said, "This is not an easy job. It is nice to see that the professional corrections officers who work here get the recognition they deserve."



Outstanding job for all those staff!! It always feels good when the admin puts staff in the positive spotlight.