Wayne County raising revenue by boarding other counties' juveniles charged as adults

The present Wayne County Correctional Facility was opened in 2008 in part because the old jail in Honesdale was overcrowded and costing the county significantly to board prisoners elsewhere. Now, with room to spare and facing high costs, agreements are in place to take inmates from other counties — including juveniles charged as adults.

So far, there have been eight juveniles placed here.

The county commissioners this month have been approving or amending agreements with several counties to board juvenile inmates as the need arises. Currently there are five juveniles from Berks County and one from Northumberland. Previously, Wayne County has lodged two juveniles charged as adults from Bradford County.

On Feb. 1, the commissioners amended an agreement with Berks County reserving an extra bed for juvenile inmates. A boarding agreement was also executed with Northumberland County. On Feb. 8, an agreement was approved with Tioga County to house juveniles charged as adults.

The rate is $288 a day, except with Berks County, which by agreement pays Wayne County a daily rate to reserve bed space in the event they are needed.

In conjunction, the commissioners amended a contract with Robinson Counseling Center to include counseling for juveniles.

Commissioner Chairperson Brian Smith said that these agreements with other counties have been made to raise revenue to operate the Wayne County Correctional Facility, and that this facility meets the state criteria to hold juvenile inmates who have been charged as adults.

Wayne County's prison provides means to segregate juvenile offenders from the rest of the prison population, in terms of both sight and sound, Smith said. The facility thereby meets the requirements of the federal Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003, intended deter sexual assault by prisoners.

Andrew Seder, county clerk, stressed that the agreements only allow for boarding a minor charged as an adult. "This is not a juvenile detention center," he said.  Smith said he did not believe Wayne County has any of its own juveniles charged as adults, but if there were any, they would be able to be housed here.

Seder stated that at the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania meetings, they hear of other counties that lack prison space, whether for female inmates or juveniles. He said Wayne County has a "low crime rate" which means its prison has the room to accommodate inmates from other counties, which he called a "financial plus" for the county.

Wayne County, however, has the right to reject any inmate from elsewhere not deemed appropriate for the local prison, Solicitor Wendell Kay added.

The county prison has a capacity to house 186 inmates. Seder said that this year so far, the prison population has been around 70, which is an increase over a year ago.

A study was done a few years ago, Smith reminded, examining the cost of operating the county prison. The commissioners explored a potential merger with Pike County Correctional Facility, which is larger and has extra room for inmates. The commissioners decided in November 2021 not to proceed.

The 2024 county budget includes $6,301,479 for the correctional facility. Corrections is second only to Children & Youth ($9 million) and makes up 15.8% of the $39.9 million Wayne County budget. The third-highest line item is Human Services, which is just over $2.2 million.

Related: Wayne County budget up almost $1 million, but taxes stable for 2024

On the revenue side, the 2024 budget anticipates $400,000 from housing inmates from other counties. In 2023, only $25,000 was budgeted.

"This is an effort to try and generate revenue from what we already generate there," Smith said. "It is an expensive thing to have a correctional facility and we are trying to all we can to help keep the pressure off taxpayers' backs by getting contracts where we can to board other inmates and get paid to do it."

There are multiple reasons why another county would want to board a juvenile charged as an adult in another county. Smith said their prison may not meet the criteria or lack room. Seder said a county might have a situation where multiple juveniles are charged with the same crime, and they do not want to house the juveniles together while they await trial.

Wayne County used to temporarily board state parole violators and other state inmates and be paid for it, but that went away, Smith said.

In situations where someone may need to be incarcerated who is related to a correctional officer or other prison staff member, or if there are multiple defendants who need to be kept separate awaiting trial, there are agreements in place with Susquehanna and Pike counties to house inmates. Seder said that either Wayne County would pay for it, or a prisoner exchange could take place, and no one would have to pay.

In Pennsylvania, a juvenile can be prosecuted in adult court if charged with murder; if the child is 15 or order and allegedly committed certain offenses with a deadly weapon; or is 15 or older, allegedly committed certain offenses and has had a prior adjudication of delinquency for specific felonies.

Wayne County also has agreements in place to lodge adult inmates from Bradford, Tioga, Wyoming, Pike, and Susquehanna counties at a rate of $75 a day.

Peter Becker has worked at the Tri-County Independent or its predecessor publications since 1994. Reach him at pbecker@tricountyindependent.com or 570-253-3055 ext. 1588.

This article originally appeared on Tri-County Independent: Wayne Co. jail boarding juveniles charged as adults in other counties