Nearly $1 million budget increase proposed for Luzerne County correctional system

Oct. 17--Luzerne County's prison system has once again dominated the proposed county budget as the top department expense.

Budgeted at $28.4 million this year, correctional services would receive nearly $1 million more under county Manager C. David Pedri's proposed 2020 budget, bringing the new total to $29.4 million.

The proposed $153.49 million county general fund operating budget seeks a 5% real estate tax hike that amounts to $30 more annually on a $100,000 property.

About $647,000 of the proposed correctional increase is for union raises, a review shows.

Negotiations are still ongoing with correctional officers and other unionized prison staff in LIUNA Local 1310, officials said. The union, which has the option for binding arbitration, has been working under a collective bargaining agreement that expired the end of 2018.

The administration has taken a stance that funds should be set aside because raises would be likely in 2020, or the second year of a new contract.

With proposed increases, union salaries total $16.6 million in the proposed budget, which includes workers in correctional administration and at the Water Street prison and nearby minimum offenders building on Reichard Street, analysis shows.

Pedri budgeted $1.35 million in salaries for nonunion workers, including $26,213 for merit-based raises.

In total, salaries for both union and nonunion correctional employees amount to nearly $18 million in the proposed budget in addition to other benefits. The correctional system is approved for 322 workers, the position budget shows.

Correctional overtime is set to increase $13,000 to a new $1.45 million. Prison officials have said overtime is unavoidable due to the need to cover workers using vacation or sick time and inmates requiring special round-the-clock supervision due to hospitalizations.

Inmate health care

Around $300,000 of the added correctional expense stems from a new contract for county prison inmate health care services that will be presented soon to council, Pedri said during Tuesday's budget unveiling.

Kansas-based Correct Care Solutions, now renamed Wellpath LLC., has been handling the services since March 2015, when the county decided partial outsourcing would be more cost efficient.

Wellpath receives around $2.4 million annually to provide a range of medical and mental health services and personnel, including prescription and nonprescription drugs and emergency ambulance transport. Four companies submitted proposals to handle the next contract, including Wellpath, officials have said.

The county continues to employ unionized licensed practical nurses at the prison and minimum offenders building, but they take direction from Wellpath, according to the county.

The new request for proposals beefed up requirements for inmate mental health coverage, largely in response to the death of four female inmates from June 2017 to January 2018 -- three ruled suicides and the fourth deemed accidental.

Some expenses for utilities and repairs were reduced in the new correctional budget proposal, and the earmark for inmates that must be housed in other facilities due to overcrowding or other circumstances remains at $200,000.

Correctional Services Division Head Mark Rockovich said Wednesday he examined every budget line looking for cuts.

"I continue to try to keep the budget as low as possible," said Rockovich, who is set to appear before council Nov. 12 to present his budget.

Other departments

The court branch has the second highest department budget, with a proposed $256,600 increase that would bring overall spending to $19.08 million. This covers administration, magisterial district courts, probation and domestic relations.

Among the other proposed 2020 total department allocations along with the suggested increases:

--District Attorney's Office, $4.9 million, or $355,000 more. Some of this stems from additional grant-funded positions.

--Budget/Finance Division (includes tax collection, property assessment and the treasurer's office), $3.28 million, or $128,650 more.

--Administrative Services (includes human resources, voter services, mapping/GIS, purchasing, information technology, licensing and liability/property insurance), $5.57 million, or $284,600 more.

--Operational Services (includes planning/zoning, building/grounds, boiler plant, 911, emergency management, road/bridge and engineers), $5.2 million, or $377,600 more.

--Judicial Services and Records (includes deeds, coroner, prothonotary, sheriff, security, clerk of courts and records storage), $4.9 million, or $71,700 more.

--Public Defender's Office, $2.6 million, or $52,400 more.

--Controller's Office, $276,988, or $3,800 more

--Law division (includes solicitors and conflict counsel), $2.3 million, or $116,000 more.

--Human services division (includes veteran affairs and county contributions to Children and Youth and other agencies), $9 million, or $586,600 more.

Reach Jennifer Learn-Andes at 570-991-6388 or on Twitter @TLJenLearnAndes.

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