Westmoreland prison population cut by almost 30%

The Westmoreland County Prison inmate population has been reduced by nearly 30% over the past month as jail officials continue to tighten restrictions designed to prevent a potential coronavirus outbreak.

Warden John Walton on Monday told members of the prison board there are 176 fewer inmates than incarcerated a month ago, cutting to Hempfield facility’s population to just 437. There were 613 inmates at the jail at the start of March.

That reduction was attributed to multiple efforts that include expedited guilty pleas, bond reductions and fewer arrests, officials said.

“We’re sending tons of people to rehab,” Walton said.

Jail officials gave court administrators a list of nearly 70 inmates two weeks ago who were identified as having medical conditions that put them at risk for the worst symptoms of the virus, but officials never enacted any blanket programs to reduce the jail population.

District Attorney John Peck said his office will not consent to the release of inmates convicted or charged with violent crimes or have lengthy criminal records.

“If a person has injured or threatened another person with injury, we don’t view that person as unlikely to re-offend and we will oppose their release,” Peck said.

No inmate or staffer at the jail has tested positive for the virus, but additional precautions were put in place over the past several weeks.

Walton said all new inmates are placed in quarantine for 14 days. Starting last week, inmates and staff are required to wear masks in the facility, and meals are served in two shifts with social distancing in dining areas.

All in-person visits with inmates were barred last month. Inmates are only allowed to meet with public defenders and court-appointed lawyers by over video conference. Starting Monday, private lawyers will be allowed to conduct video meetings with incarcerated clients, Walton said.

Staffing at the jail has remained mostly unchanged. The warden said seven administrative staffers were furloughed earlier this month, but there have been no reductions to the guard roster.

“We still need the same amount of staff because we have all of our units open,” Walton said.

Prison board members on Monday hired seven additional part-time guards to fill scheduling gaps, officials said.