Letter to the editor: Jail officers’ dark perceptions of Jail Oversight Board

The 2025 Allegheny County Jail correctional officer survey, completed by 216 officers, found that 72.2% of the officers strongly disagree and 18.1% disagree with this statement: “Our Jail Oversight Board (JOB) communicates effectively with our correctional officers, understanding our officers’ challenges and is effectively working to improve conditions of employment for our officers.”

The officers’ responses in their own words regarding the relationship overwhelmingly mentioned “they only care about inmate wants and needs” and “they don’t listen to the needs of the officers.”

The JOB’s “use of force and scheduling committee refuses to meet with officers. So why have a committee that omits feedback from an equal shareholder.”

This officer recognizes a potential value to the relationship: “Something that could have a major benefit for both sides to work together isn’t present.”

Many officers say they want to change the relationship: “I would like the Jail Oversight Board to become more involved with the everyday CO, get to know us, understand the issues we deal with, before you make decisions on anything in the jail.”

This officer is asking the board to come where there are the most challenges: “Come see the worst pods and how we are supposed to handle everything we are being asked to do.”

Can we say the more we care about and understand the correctional officers and help them with their plight will have a major positive impact on the people incarcerated at the jail?

John Kenstowicz

Morningside

The writer is an advocate working to improve living and working conditions at the Allegheny County Jail.