Prison to explore adding full-time chaplain
Jul. 26—A retired minister wants Lackawanna County Prison officials to hire a full-time chaplain to serve inmates.
Warden Tim Betti said he would look into the idea.
The Rev. Doug Posegate, a pastor in several local Methodist churches in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties, told the county prison board that the prison has lacked a full-time chaplain since the last one left at least a decade ago.
Posegate said he's involved with a board of prison ministries that encourages members to "remember those who are in prison as if you were their fellow prisoners."
"Now that gets pretty down to it, and that's instrumental for people of faith," he said.
County Commissioner Debi Domenick, a prison board member, asked Betti to review the idea.
Besides serving as a regular presence, the last full-time chaplain helped coordinate other ministers and volunteers who want to serve inmates, Betti told the newspaper. Since he left, the prison has relied on volunteer ministers, with coordination left to other prison officials, he said.
Betti said he must determine if the prison has the money to hire a full-time chaplain.
"If it's sustainable to take a look at our canteen funds to fund a reverend, a priest, a rabbi, somebody to act in that behalf, I would be very interested in following the thought," Betti said.
The prison board also appointed Colleen Orzel as deputy warden for operations. Orzel served as acting deputy warden for operation since late February, Betti said.
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